Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region
This project has capacity to address supply water needs for up to 50% of the State’s population.
In preparation for the submission of a planning application for the Water Supply Project, planning notices will be published in newspapers from 12 December 2025. Planning documents will be available from 19 December 2025 once planning has been lodged to An Coimisiún Pleanála.
Project overview
Our purpose is to deliver transformative water services that enable communities to thrive. For the Eastern and Midlands Region, rising to this challenge requires a new water source.
Today, we have just one source to supply 85% of the water for the Greater Dublin Area – the River Liffey. This dependence on the Liffey (and the two main treatment plants of Ballymore Eustace and Leixlip) results in a serious vulnerability to risks such as prolonged drought and/or contamination. Furthermore, economic growth, population growth including the demand for housing and the impact of climate change means our forecasts show that the region will need 34% more water by 2044 than is available today. This combination of a growing water supply deficit and lack of supply resilience is not sustainable-we need a new source of water.
The solution is the Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region. A critical national infrastructure project, it will have capacity to support water supply needs for up to 50% of our population. It will bring treated water from the Parteen Basin to Peamount in Dublin with the capacity for offtakes along the route in Tipperary, Offaly and Westmeath. It will also enable supplies serving Dublin to be redirected back locally in Carlow, Wicklow, Meath and Louth.
Status
The Water Supply Project has approval in principle under the Government’s Infrastructure Guidelines. In December 2025, We are preparing to submit a planning application to An Coimisiún Pleanála for the Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region, complete with an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) and Natura Impact Statement (NIS).
Submissions or observations as to the effects on the environment and/or on European Sites may be made in writing to the Commission during the period commencing on the 6 January 2026 and ending at 5.30 p.m. on the 25 February 2026. The planning application can be viewed and downloaded from here ‘watersupplyproject.ie’
Water Supply Project in 2025
To find out more, click below for a short 3 minute video.
The Project
The proposed Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region will abstract a maximum of 2% of the average flow of the River Shannon at Parteen Basin. The project is in line with the National Water Resources Plan (Framework Plan) and the Regional Water Resources Plan for the Eastern and Midlands Region. The Project will;
- Abstraction of water from the lower River Shannon at Parteen Basin in Co. Tipperary, downstream of Lough Derg
- Treatment of the abstracted water at Birdhill, Co. Tipperary
- Pipe the treated water 170km through Tipperary, Offaly and Kildare to a termination point reservoir at Peamount in County Dublin
- Connect into the Greater Dublin Area water supply network, with capacity to provide water to communities along the route.
Eastern and Midlands regional in depth Water Supply Project Map
Landowner Information
A landowner handbook is available to provide landowners with specific information including an overview of the proposed project, as well as detailed information on construction and post construction phases.
All landowners along the proposed project route have been assigned a dedicated Landowner Liaison Officer, who have been advising landowners on the progress of route development and technical design, as well as arranging access for environmental and ground investigation surveys. The Landowner Liaison Officers will continue to provide landowners with a dedicated point of contact throughout the planning, construction and reinstatement phases.
Contact details have been shared with all landowners, however please email mpwayleaves@water.ie should you need any further information.
News
- 25 June 2024: Water Supply Project, critical to securing Ireland’s economic growth and housing needs for the future, gets Government green light
- 07 January 2025: Uisce Éireann launches Public Consultation on the Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region
- 10 September 2025: Uisce Éireann welcomes agreement with the IFA and the ICMSA on land and wayleaves package for Water Supply Project Eastern & Midlands Region