Irish Water has launched a new consultation on plans to develop its first-ever National Water Resources Plan (NWRP) to secure a sustainable and reliable drinking water supply over the next 25 years.
The NWRP will outline how Irish Water intends to maintain the balance between supply from water sources around the country and demand for drinking water over the short, medium and long-term.
A number of elements will be undertaken in the development of the NWRP. Irish Water will consider availability of water by assessing water resources at a national level (including lakes, rivers and groundwater) and assessing the current and future water demand from homes, businesses, farms, and industry.
The water company will also consider the impacts on water supplies by identifying areas where there are current and potential water supply shortfalls by taking into account normal and extreme weather conditions. This will include considering the impacts of climate change on Ireland’s water resources and the development of a Drought Plan recommending measures to be taken before and during drought events.
When the potential shortfalls have been identified the utility will also assess the options for meeting them. Finally, the NWRP will develop a plan that sets out how Irish Water manages the waste material produced as a result of treating drinking water.
As part of preparing the NWRP, Irish Water needs to undertake some key environmental reports including a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA). The public consultation has been launched to inform the development of these reports.
Commenting on the NWRP, Mary McMahon, Acting Water Resource Strategy Specialist with Irish Water said:
“We are currently developing the draft plan with a view to publishing the final 25-year National Water Resources Plan in 2018. A national plan will ensure the best use of water resources to ensure a constant supply of safe clean drinking water and how best to meet any challenges while continuing to support social and economic growth.”
All submissions made on the SEA Scoping Report will be reviewed and relevant feedback incorporated into the environmental reports. Irish Water will then refer to the environmental reports when preparing the Draft National Water Resources Plan. In summer of 2018, the draft NWRP will go on display for an eight-week statutory public consultation, before being reviewed and finalised later that year.
After that, Irish Water will undertake a review and update of the NWRP every five years at least to ensure that the latest available information is factored in. Deadline to submit comments and feedback on the SEA Scoping Report is Friday 22 December 2017.
Click here to access the SEA Report
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