COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF LUCAN/PALMERSTOWN/FONTHILL AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

MOTION NO. 12

MOTION: Councillor L. O'Toole

Further to last month’s official reply to my motion where we informed that the Lucan area had been temporary switched back to Ballymore Eustace, this committee requests a full report on this decision, when the decision was made and when the switch was made, to also include what caused the switch, how long it’s anticipated to source our water from Ballymore Eustace. To advise where and when residents where informed of this change.

Could IW respond to question asked in last months motion regarding if Ballymore Eustace WPT could be expanded.

(“For sometime now the people of Lucan have called on IW to switch its water source back to Ballymore. Since then many other areas have requested same. Could IW explain why it’s not possible to do this, is there no option to increase the water treatment facility at Ballymore Eustace.”)

REPORT:

Irish Water were requested to provide a report to this motion and have responded as follows:

The water supply in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) comes from a number of different Water Treatment Plants, primarily the Liffey plants at Leixlip Water Treatment Plant (WTP) and Ballymore Eustace WTP. The water balance between the two is a function of the supply demand balance from time to time and is managed on a daily basis.

Irish Water has increased water production at Ballymore Eustace to decrease pressure on the old plant at Leixlip. This is to facilitate the upgrade of filters at the Leixlip WTP, which is being carried out on a phased basis. The WTP at Leixlip is operating normally and in compliance with all drinking water quality requirements. This process is being carried out as quickly and safely as possible while maintaining supply to the GDA. The Water Treatment Plant at Leixlip is operating normally and in compliance with all drinking water quality requirements.

Following this change and a recent network reconfiguration, some areas in South Dublin County Council, which were previously supplied by Leixlip, are currently being supplied from Ballymore Eustace. The management of the network is under constant review and reconfigurations of the network can be required to sustain supply.

The Ballymore Eustace Ballymore Eustace WTP supplies drinking water to over 1,000,000 people across Dublin City, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, South Dublin County and Kildare. The plant recently benefitted from significant upgrades to the sludge treatment process, which increases the treatment capacity up to 318,000 cubic metres of drinking water per day. To date there have been a number of developments at the plant, bringing its capacity from an initial 50,000 cubic metres in the 1940s, through to 136,000 cubic metres in the mid-seventies and on to 250,000 cubic metres in 1986. The recent expansion has seen the plant reach its ultimate capacity of 318,000 cubic metres per day.

Members are reminded that Irish Water have established a Local Representative Service Desk, which can be contacted at localrepsupport@water.ie or at 1890 178 178.  Irish Water also arrange Councillor clinics, typically these take place quarterly in County Hall and Irish Water send invites directly to members.