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The Water Quality Management Plans
The Pipeline project will compromise current plans for improving water quality across Ireland.
The current compensation flow of the Shannon - the lowest allowable dry-season flow of a river - is insufficient. Because of this, the Water Quality Management Plan proposes to include an increase to the Shannon compensation flow.
The water abstraction from the Shannon will threaten this plan.
Uisce Eirann's Justification
Uisce Eireann's justification for the 200Mld earmarked for Dublin is the need to cater to extraordinary industrial development and peak demand, especially during dry summer periods. However, according to their projections in 2014, by 2024, 34 million litres of this was supposed to have been needed for industrial development alone.
This never happened and the proposed solutions is unrealistic, with little regard for the ecological and social ramifications.
The Midland Issue
Uisce Eireann explains the need for the Shannon Pipe by using a significant portion of this extracted water, about 100Mld or 1/3 of the pipeline capacity, for the Midlands and surrounding Dublin, which is already served by ample water supply and alternative sources.
This allocation seems more like a excuse to justify the unnecessary and environmentally damaging pipeline project rather than addressing genuine water shortages.
Uisce Eirann's Indifference
Uisce Eireann's fixation on the Shannon pipeline overlooks existing water infrastructure and resources, only to benefit Dublin's development at the expenses of the Shannon region.
The proposal diverts attention and resources towards a costly and environmentally damaging project, instead of focusing on sustainable alternatives and optimizing existing systems.
