The Greater Dublin Drainage Project is to hold an open evening on Tuesday 16th July 2013 from 3pm to 8pm in the Hilton Dublin Airport Hotel, Northern Cross, Malahide Road, Dublin 17 where people can come along to meet the project team, have their queries answered and provide feedback on issues to be considered in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that will be prepared for the project relating to potential effects on the environment that may occur as a result of the project. Human beings, landscape, visual impact, traffic management and access, effects on air and water quality are examples of relevant topics that people may have specific information or views on that should be considered. It is intended to submit the application for planning approval for the project to An Bord Pleanála in early 2014.

“We have held three successful open days in County Hall, Swords in recent weeks and in response to local people’s requests we are holding an event in the Clonshagh area, to meet more people, outline the facts of the project and reassure them about what is being proposed because there is a lot of misinformation out there that we need to clarify,” says Peter O’Reilly, Project Engineer.

“The Greater Dublin Drainage Project is needed to facilitate employment, social progress and economic growth for Dublin, while improving and protecting the environment for all. It is at the early planning stages and we hope to make an application for planning approval to An Bord Pleanála in early 2014 for their consideration,” says Peter O’Reilly.

The Clonshagh option is the best solution from a technical, environmental and cost perspective; at approximately €420 million it is approximately €80 million less than the other options considered.

“The majority (70%) of Fingal’s wastewater currently goes to the wastewater treatment plant at Ringsend but we know from extensive studies that we will not have enough drainage and wastewater treatment capacity to cater for future growth in the Greater Dublin Area if we do not build an additional regional treatment plant,” says Peter O’Reilly.

Greater Dublin Drainage Project – FACTS

  • Information on Greater Dublin Drainage can be found on the Project’s website www.greaterdublindrainage.com. This includes reports, maps, brochures and factsheets on the project.
  • The Greater Dublin Drainage plant will treat the majority of the wastewater generated in the Fingal area, together with the wastewater from the northern parts of DublinCity, south Meath and eventually from the east Kildare area currently served by Leixlip and Osberstown treatment plants once they have reached their ultimate capacity.
  • No untreated wastewater will be discharged from the proposed WwTP. The wastewater brought to the proposed plant at Clonshagh will undergo the necessary treatment to meet the conditions of the EPA licence prior to being discharged 6km out to sea from BaldoyleBay. The level of treatment applied will ensure water quality standards in compliance with strict EU and national legislative requirements can be achieved including the EU Water Framework Directive, Bathing Water Quality Regulations and Urban Wastewater Treatment Regulations. This will safeguard water quality and the quality of the marine environment. Every measure will be taken to ensure that there are no adverse impacts on any aspect of the environment in developing the Greater Dublin Drainage Project and the conditions of the planning approval and EPA licence, if awarded, will ensure that this is the case throughout all stages of project development and operation.
  • Development of a single regional plant is the preferred option from an environmental, technical and economic perspective. If numerous smaller inland WwTPs were developed, the discharge from these plants would be released to adjacent watercourses. Most of which are small and have insufficient dilution capacity to cater for the load and flow of such discharges. Rivers in Dublin are already under pressure and experience lower flow in dry periods which reduces the ability of the watercourse to dilute the treated wastewater.

Public consultation continues until Friday 2nd August 2013 during which time people can advise the project team on issues to be considered in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that will be prepared for the project relating to potential effects on the environment that may occur as a result of the project.

Anybody who would like to find any information on the project can visit the Greater Dublin Drainage website at www.greaterdublindrainage.com or can contact the Project Team through our lo-call phone line 1890-445567 or email info@greaterdublindrainage.ie.

To download an information poster please click here.