A new Vartry Water Treatment Plant is now operational after a €150 million construction.
The site was officially opened on Friday by Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Daragh O’Brien, Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council Shay Council, and Irish Water Managing Director Niall Gleeson.
The Vartry Water Supply Scheme or “The Vartry” was originally constructed in the 1860s by Dublin Corporation to provide a safe and reliable drinking water supply to the Dublin region and helped to reduce outbreaks of water borne disease such as cholera.
The scheme was in urgent need of improvement according to Irish Water, and was listed on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Remedial Action List, which identifies water supplies that are in need of improvement to comply with drinking water regulations.
The new water treatment plant uses cutting edge treatment technologies to secure the supply of clean water for more than 200,000 people in North Wicklow and South Dublin.
The improvement works include the new water treatment plant, a new covered reservoir in Stillorgan replacement of the old stone tunnel from Vartry to Carrowhill.
Opening the new treatment plant, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien said: “This is a critical milestone in securing the water supply for the Greater Dublin Area into the coming decades. Vartry has supplied generations with water for over 150 years, and the completion of this project means that current and future generations will benefit from a high quality, safe, secure and reliable water supply. It also means we now have a robust infrastructure in place to support the delivery of housing and wider economic and social development.
Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, Shay Cullen, also welcomed the completion of the project. “The Vartry scheme supplies a large area stretching from Roundwood, through north Wicklow and into south Dublin, so we will all benefit from the successful completion of these upgrades. This is a great example of collaboration between Irish Water and local authorities in Wicklow and Dublin. I am delighted to be here on what is an historic day for Vartry.”
As part of the upgrade, Irish Water has also committed to releasing sustainable freshwater flows to the Vartry River which is important to safeguard the ecology of the river, particularly in times of drought.
