Lough Derg abstraction plan opposed

Plans to abstract in the region of 400 million litres of water a day from Lough Derg would cause serious damage to the ecology, environment and the economy of the communities who rely on tourism-related enterprises along the lake, a local lobby group has claimed.

 

The River Shannon Protection Alliance, which has mounted a vigorous campaign against Dublin City Council’s controversial plans to remove water from Lough Derg, has warned that angling tourism and people dependent on the hospitality sector would suffer if this proposal is approved by An Bord Pleanála.

RSPA chairman, Gerry Siney insists this abstraction will not be needed if Dublin City Council pursues more sustainable options including fixing the leaks in the water supply system. These include tapping a significant groundwater source known as the Fingal Aquifer, which runs for several miles and could provide an estimated 100 million gallons a day.

Other alternatives include introducing proper conservation measures or using desalination involving reverse osmosis, which Mr Siney believes has become far more economical in recent years. In fact, he cites the desalination project on the River Thames, built at an estimated capital cost of €250m, which produces 100million gallons a day as more cost effective than spending €500m to €600m on a ‘mad cap’ pipeline bringing water 100 miles from Lough Derg to Dublin.

In its SEA Phase Two Environmental Statement, the council stated its plan assumes full domestic as well as non-domestic metering, volumetric charging of customers and a lowering of distribution and customer leakage levels to equivalent best international practice.

The plan proposes to reduce current network leakage of about 30% to 2030 to 2040.

While the environmental statement acknowledges desalination of sea water is technically feasible, it points out this technology is being increasingly used in countries, which are water stressed and don’t have alternative surface water or groundwater sources available to them.

“Drinking water produced from desalination is expensive because of high initial capital costs due to intakes, outfalls, desalination process plants and also because of the high running costs due to the process energy required.

“An east coast desalination plant would use on average three to four times the amount of energy required for the proposed Shannon Scheme. A desalination water supply option to produce 300 million litres per day (mld) would cost over 25 years of operation in the order of €1 billion versus €650 million for the technically equivalent recommended Shannon option with a production capability of 300/350mld,” the environment statement outlines.

Before Dublin City Council can proceed with this controversial proposal, it requires the approval of An Board Pleanála. Part of the appeals’ board detailed assessment will involve a thorough examination of an Environmental Impact Statement, which has to be prepared.

The council is inviting tenders to complete this EIS before it can make its formal application to the board.
Dublin City Council had not responded to queries from The Clare Champion at the time of going to press.