Dublin council to pursue Shannon as water source

DUBLIN CITY Council has said it will continue to hold briefings in relation to its controversial scheme to extract drinking water from the River Shannon, despite an angry reaction from county councillors in Longford to its plans.

The city council has known for several years that the city is running out of water and that its reservoir at Vartry in the Wicklow mountains does not have the capacity to serve the growing population of the greater Dublin area.

The council commissioned consultant engineers RPS to conduct a study on future sources of water for the city. Their report produced in 2006 suggested a range of options including desalination and groundwater storage, or bringing water from the Shannon to the city.

The council is conducting a feasibility study on the possibility of taking water from Lough Ree and Lough Derg simultaneously and pumping it to a reservoir on a cut-away bog near Rochfortbridge, Co Westmeath, or taking water from Lough Ree only, Lough Derg only, or from below Ardnacrusha in Co Limerick. The study is due to be completed next year.

RPS, on behalf of the council, has been briefing local authorities and non-governmental organisations in the west and mid-west about the plans over an 18-month period. Most recently it gave a presentation to Longford County Council, following which several councillors said they intended to oppose the plans.

Community groups including the Shannon Protection Alliance, which includes boating enthusiasts, anglers and farmers, are also opposing the plans.

However, the council said it intends to continue with the briefings and the exploration of all possible options for future water supplies for the city.

"The one thing we are sure of is that Dublin and the east will start to run out of water from 2016 due to population growth and, if it does, the entire country will suffer," the council said.

The council was adopting a policy of wide stakeholder consultation, it said, but no decisions would be made until after the feasibility study was completed.

"Dublin City Council has responsibility not to leave future generations without water and these studies, which are at a very early stage, will inform everyone of the possible options."

Once a preferred option is chosen, the council will have to conduct a strategic environmental assessment of the proposal before seeking funding from the Department of the Environment.

The Irish Times

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