Public Consultation begins on New Water Source for Dublin
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
As part of its remit to deliver a sustainable and resilient national water supply, Irish Water has commenced the fourth round of consultation on the Final Options Appraisal Report (FOAR) which identifies the Preferred Scheme for meeting the future needs of the Eastern and Midlands Region as well as the EIS Scoping Report for the Project. The fourteen week consultation period commences on November 8th 2016, and runs until February 14th 2017.
The report traces the three year process which began with the review of the Need for the Project (March 2015), then progressed through review of ten Options (June 2015), to more detailed examination of four options, shortlisted to two, with identification of an emerging preferred option in November 2015.
Environmental assessment, engineering design, landowner engagement and public consultation conducted in the interim period has culminated in the Preferred Scheme, which is presented in the FOAR.
The Preferred Scheme confirms abstraction and treatment of water at Parteen Basin (also known as ‘Lower Lake’) on the lower Shannon in County Tipperary together with a treated water pipeline route between Parteen and Dublin.
Alongside the identification of the Preferred Scheme, Irish Water have published an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Scoping Report. The EIS Scoping Report considers the nature and likely scale of the potential environmental impacts that may arise from the Preferred Scheme. Scoping ensures that potential environmental impacts are identified at the initial stages of the process while ensuring environmental protection is a key consideration in the development of the project design.
The FOAR, which provides detail on the assessment process used in the identification of the Preferred Scheme, and the EIS Scoping Report can be read in full and downloaded at http://www.watersupplyproject.ie/publications/.