Irish Water has been granted planning permission for the construction of a new water pipeline and additional structures for the transfer of treated drinking water from Vartry to Callowhill.
The new pipeline will secure the long-term water supply to north Wicklow and south Dublin and ensure the Vartry Water Supply Scheme continues to meet all drinking water standards.
Treated water from Vartry provides drinking water for one of the most densely populated areas in the country. The supply area stretches through Wicklow, to south Dublin, and serves more than 200,000 people.
The Vartry Water Supply Scheme was originally constructed in the 1860s and involved the construction of a four kilometre long tunnel under Callowhill to deliver water to the area. The tunnel is in a poor state of repair and is being replaced by the new pipeline which will secure the water supply. The proposed works will include:
- A new pumping station at the existing Vartry Water Treatment Plant
- Four kilometres of buried pipeline from Vartry to Callowhill
- A break pressure tank and a hydropower turbine at Callowhill to recover renewable energy from the pumped water.
The Vartry Scheme is seen by Irish Water as a priority project, given its importance to so many people in Wicklow, Dún Laoghaire and other areas of south Dublin.
The planning permission from Wicklow County Council has is an important step in securing the drinking water to the Vartry Water Supply area of north Wicklow and south Dublin. The scheme has had no major upgrade since it was built over 150 years ago and is now in need of urgent investment. The application is part of a €200m investment in the scheme which will secure the drinking water supply for the area for decades to come.
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