IRISH Water has submitted a planning application to Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, seeking permission for the construction of a new, covered reservoir at the Stillorgan Reservoir site.
The Stillorgan Reservoir site has supplied drinking water to the community for 150 years. Irish Water says this new reservoir is essential to safeguard the quality of the drinking water for 200,000 customers.
The existing Stillorgan site contains three open water reservoirs which store treated drinking water prior to its distribution to customers.
This is one of the last remaining open service reservoirs of treated drinking water of its kind in Europe, Irish Water explained, adding that treated drinking water exposed to the environment presents an unacceptable contamination risk.
The Stillorgan Reservoir Upgrade Project includes the draining of one of the reservoirs and the construction of a new covered reservoir. Once the new covered reservoir is operational, the other two open reservoirs will be decommissioned, and landscaping of the site will take place.
Irish Water held two public information evenings in August and September this year, to coincide with a six-week non-statutory public consultation on the proposed new covered reservoir.
Geoff O’Sullivan, Project Manager with Irish Water, said: “Covering the reservoir will safeguard the quality of drinking water for the community and provide a long-term solution for the safe and sustainable management of the water supply for the next 15 years.
“This is a priority project for Irish Water and we are committed to investing approximately €80 million to ensure the upgrade to the reservoir provides the long-term solution that is required.
“The Stillorgan Reservoir has served the community for over 150 years and this project will ensure it continues to do so.”
Irish Water has already invested €3.4 million to improve the disinfection of drinking water stored in the Stillorgan Reservoir, enabling the removal of the Stillorgan Reservoir from the EPA’s Remedial Action List.
An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has been prepared to assess the potential impacts on the environment which could result from the development.
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council is also undertaking a five-week period of statutory consultation.
Subject to planning permission being granted, it is anticipated that construction will commence in 2018 and will take approximately two years to complete.
Deputy Josepha Madigan (FG) called for the needs of local residents to be taken into account in the development of the reservoir.
“I welcome the decision to invest in the Stillorgan reservoir and secure the water supply for over 200,000 people across Dublin,” she said.
“I think it is important, however, that when Irish Water’s planning application for the development is considered that the needs of the community are taken into account. The site will incorporate large amounts of land – the site of the decommissioned reservoir areas and the covered reservoir itself.
“This land could be used to provide sports pitches for the local community or even to reduce our carbon footprint through the provision of sustainable energy.
“I am calling on Irish Water to incorporate the need to serve the local community in their plans for the site.”