River Shannon to Dublin pipeline
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The River Shannon to Dublin pipeline, officially the Water Supply Project, Eastern and Midlands Region, is a planned project to bring water from the Parteen Basin on the River Shannon to Peaumont to supply the Dublin region and areas along the route in counties Tipperary, Offaly and Westmeath.{{cite web |title=Eastern and Midlands Water Supply |url=https://www.water.ie/projects/national-projects/water-supply-project-east-1 |website=Uisce Eireann |access-date=5 October 2024 |language=en}}
History
Dublin City Council published a plan in 2011 to supply up to 350 million litres of water a day from Lough Derg to Dublin city and region. In January 2014, Irish Water took over management of the project which is currently in the Planning Stage. In 2016 it was indicated that over two million people would benefit from the water supply, which would service a large portion of Leinster including Dublin, Arklow, Athlone, Athy, Carlow, Drogheda, Mullingar, Navan, Portlaoise and Tullamore.{{cite news |title=Preferred route for Shannon-Dublin pipeline published |date=8 November 2016 |website=RTÉ.ie |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161109165117/http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1107/829936-pipeline/ |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1107/829936-pipeline/ |url-status=live |archivedate=9 November 2016 |accessdate=20 November 2018}} In 2018 Irish Water announced plans to seek planning permission for the project.{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/irish-water-to-seek-planning-permission-for-shannon-pipeline-1.3471792 |title=Irish Water to seek planning permission for Shannon pipeline |date=24 April 2018 |access-date=20 November 2018 |first=Kevin |last=O'Sullivan |newspaper=The Irish Times |issn=0791-5144 |location=Dublin |language=en-ie |archive-date=16 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616204857/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/irish-water-to-seek-planning-permission-for-shannon-pipeline-1.3471792 |url-status=live }}
The proposed pipeline was sent for review to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities amid questions about Irish Water’s leakage targets, whether groundwater was appropriately considered as an alternative to the pipeline, and the cost of the proposal.{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/editorial/irish-times-view-on-dublin-s-water-supply-1.3960383 |title=Irish Times view on Dublin's water supply |date=19 July 2019 |newspaper=The Irish Times |issn=0791-5144 |location=Dublin |language=en-ie |access-date=23 December 2019 |archive-date=3 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190903123813/https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/editorial/irish-times-view-on-dublin-s-water-supply-1.3960383 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://mk0cruiefjep6wj7niq.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/CRU18236-Terms-of-Reference-Wact-Eastern-and-Midlands-Region.pdf |title=Terms of reference |publisher= |date=November 2018 |accessdate=2019-12-28 |archive-date=23 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191223125714/https://mk0cruiefjep6wj7niq.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/CRU18236-Terms-of-Reference-Wact-Eastern-and-Midlands-Region.pdf |url-status=dead }} The CRU completed its final report on the project in June 2024 and gave its approval to the project advancing to the next stage of planning.{{cite web |title=Review of Uisce Éireann’s Proposed Water Supply Project {{!}} CRU.ie |url=https://www.cru.ie/publications/28066/ |website=Commission for the Regulation of Utilities |access-date=5 October 2024}}
In 2024, the project was permitted to seek planning permission by the Irish Government.{{cite news |last1=O'Sullivan |first1=Kevin |title=Cabinet approves move to progress controversial Shannon-to-Dublin water pipeline |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/environment/2024/06/25/cabinet-approves-move-to-progress-controversial-shannon-to-dublin-water-pipeline/ |access-date=5 October 2024 |work=The Irish Times |language=en}}
In January 2025, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage estimated that water sources in the Greater Dublin region would reach capacity in the late 2020s and that water restrictions would be necessary unless the Shannon pipeline is built.https://www.irishtimes.com/environment/2025/01/10/project-to-pipe-water-from-river-shannon-to-dublin-could-cost-10bn/
Preferred route
In November 2016, the Parteen Basin, which is to the south of Lough Derg, was chosen as the proposed site of extraction. Water would be pumped via Birdhill to a break pressure tank at Knockanacree near Cloughjordan, all in County Tipperary and would be gravity-fed from there to Peamount in Dublin.{{cite web |url=http://www.watersupplyproject.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/appendix_g_break_pressure_tank.pdf |title=Break pressure tank |publisher=www.watersupplyproject.ie |date= |accessdate=2019-12-28 |archive-date=8 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161108195425/http://www.watersupplyproject.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/appendix_g_break_pressure_tank.pdf |url-status=live }}{{cite news |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161108195523/http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0731/106457-water/ |url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0731/106457-water/ |archivedate=8 November 2016 |url-status=live |title=Warning of Shannon water extraction |work=RTÉ News |date=31 July 2008 |accessdate=20 November 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/business/196725/Shannon-water-extraction-a-concern-for.html |title=Shannon water extraction a concern for Limerick councillors |first=Norma |last=Prendiville |date=7 August 2015 |newspaper=Limerick Leader |access-date=28 December 2019 |archive-date=28 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228092425/https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/business/196725/Shannon-water-extraction-a-concern-for.html |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/media/committees/environmenttransportcultureandthegaeltacht/8november/River-Shannon-Protection-Alliance-Position-Paper.pdf |title=Why we say the Dublin Region Water Supply Project is a bad scheme |author=River Shannon Protection Alliance |date=26 October 2011 |via=Oireachtas |access-date=14 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121031024726/http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/media/committees/environmenttransportcultureandthegaeltacht/8november/River-Shannon-Protection-Alliance-Position-Paper.pdf |archive-date=31 October 2012 |url-status=dead}}
Concerns
A number of groups oppose the pipeline on economic, environmental and other grounds. The River Shannon Protection Alliance, Fight the Pipe and Kennedy Analysis have been among the most vocal opponents.{{cite web |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/shannon-to-dublin-water-pipeline-simply-wrong-says-critic-1.3473145 |title=Shannon-to-Dublin water pipeline 'simply wrong' says critic |first=Mark |last=Hilliard |date=24 April 2018 |newspaper=The Irish Times |issn=0791-5144 |location=Dublin |language=en-ie |access-date=23 December 2019 |archive-date=9 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109040750/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/shannon-to-dublin-water-pipeline-simply-wrong-says-critic-1.3473145 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.nenaghguardian.ie/news/roundup/articles/2016/12/08/4131505-meeting-to-fight-the-pipe-this-saturday/ |title=Meeting to 'Fight the Pipe' this Saturday |date=2016-12-08 |newspaper=The Nenagh Guardian |access-date=28 December 2019 |archive-date=28 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228092421/https://www.nenaghguardian.ie/news/roundup/articles/2016/12/08/4131505-meeting-to-fight-the-pipe-this-saturday/ |url-status=live }}
A primary objection to the pipeline is the contention that if leakage reduction targets were achieved in Dublin, the pipeline would be unnecessary.{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/shannon-pipeline-not-needed-if-dublin-water-leaks-fixed-study-claims-1.3957356 |title=Shannon pipeline not needed if Dublin water leaks fixed, study claims |first1=Kevin |last=O'Sullivan |date=16 July 2019 |newspaper=The Irish Times |issn=0791-5144 |location=Dublin |language=en-ie |access-date=23 December 2019 |archive-date=10 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191210061338/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/shannon-pipeline-not-needed-if-dublin-water-leaks-fixed-study-claims-1.3957356 |url-status=live }} In 2015, national network leakage (i.e. leakage on the distribution side of the network, not including any household leakage) was 49%.{{cite web |url=https://www.water.ie/docs/Irish-Water-Business-Plan.pdf |title=Irish Water Business Plan: Transforming Water Services in Ireland to 2021 |date=2015 |publisher=Ervia |access-date=23 December 2019 |archive-date=12 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112023312/https://www.water.ie/docs/Irish-Water-Business-Plan.pdf |url-status=live }}
As the proposed extraction of water upstream of the ESB's hydroelectric station at Ardnacrusha may reduce the flow available for the generation of electricity, Irish Water will compensate ESB for any loss.