Uisce Éireann, Ireland's water utility, has warned Dublin City Council that inadequate water and sewage capacity could jeopardize plans for a new 6,000-home suburb on a 77-hectare industrial estate. The water supply is currently at "amber status," meaning it's constrained, and future population growth is dependent on the completion of new water and wastewater projects, which face significant delays.
The projects, including the Shannon to Dublin Water Supply Project (expected after 2032) and the Greater Dublin Drainage Project (in planning for seven years), are crucial for supporting housing growth. This contrasts with Uisce Éireann's previous assessment of the area's water and sewage infrastructure as sufficient with only local upgrades needed.
Uisce Éireann's chairman has described the state's water and sewerage systems as "in a desperate state" due to complacency. Tánaiste Simon Harris suggests legally binding deadlines for connecting new housing projects to water and electricity services to address delays.