10.2 Sustainable Management of Water

10.2 Sustainable Management of Water

Regional Context

With finite resources and an emphasis on environmental compliance and network upgrades, future investment in water services to accommodate growth will need to be focused. In this context balanced growth that supports the efficient and effective use of existing infrastructure will be a key consideration in ensuring the sustainable social and economic growth of Ireland into the future. The quantum, location and distribution of planned development must have regard to the capacity of public water services and seek to make efficient use of and maximise the capacity of existing and planned water services infrastructure.

EMRA supports the development of Drinking Water Protection Plans in line with the requirements of the Water Framework Directive and the current and future cycles of River Basin Management Plans. In this regard, EMRA supports the inclusion of objectives in city and county development plans relating to the provision of mitigation and protection measures for all protected areas, including Drinking Water Protected Areas and associated Source Protection Plans.

A key priority for the Region is to ensure that the water supply and waste water needs are met by new national projects to enhance the water supply and increase waste water treatment capacity for the Region. Irish Water will need to consider contingency plans to address any potential delays in the delivery of projects to ensure resilience of water supply and waste water treatment for the Region.

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Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy

Water Supply

Water supply for the wider Dublin area is at critical levels of demand and to facilitate further growth in line with NPF population growth projections, prioritisation of water supply investment should occur. The importance of investing in the Region’s infrastructure to ensure it remains a competitive location is recognised. Irish Water has identified key projects for the Region which are included in Project Ireland 2040 to support planned development and maintain and improve existing services. Specifically, the Water Supply Project for the Eastern & Midlands Region is required to ensure sufficient treated water is available to meet the long-term water supply needs of the Region to provide for projected growth up to 2050 and contribute to resilience and security of supply for the Region. In the absence of the Water Supply Project there will be an issue with servicing growth. The benefiting corridor for the project will provide a new water supply for most of the Region and is a key element of realising potential across the Region. The project aims to meet the domestic and commercial needs of over 40% of Ireland’s population in the medium to long term future (up to 2050).

The development of a new rural settlement investment approach, coordinating Irish Water, local authority, developer and community led solutions to ensuring that sustainable water services solutions are progressively implemented should be encouraged. Irish Water’s National Water Resources Plan is due to be prepared and EMRA will engage fully with Irish Water in its preparation of same.

Table 10.1: Strategic Water Services Projects

The Water Supply Project for the Eastern and Midland Region to supply water to the Greater Dublin Area and other communities in the Eastern and Midlands Region

Irish Water’s National Programme of Investment to tackle leakage through find and fix (active leakage control) and water mains rehabilitation

The approach in the Region should be to ensure that water is used as efficiently as possible, address water wastage, water conservation and reduce leakage, minimising demand for capital investment.

Vartry Water Supply Scheme

The Rural Water Programme

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Infrastructure

REGIONAL POLICY OBJECTIVES:
Water Supply
RPO 10.1: Local authorities shall include proposals in development plans to ensure the efficient and sustainable use and development of water resources and water services infrastructure in order to manage and conserve water resources in a manner that supports a healthy society, economic development requirements and a cleaner environment.	RPO 10.6 Delivery and phasing of services shall be subject to the required appraisal, planning and environmental assessment processes and shall avoid adverse impacts on the integrity of the Natura 2000 network.
	RPO 10.7: Local authority core strategies shall
	demonstrate compliance with DHPLG Water Services
RPO 10.2: EMRA supports the delivery of the strategic water	Guidelines for local authorities and demonstrate phased infrastructure – led growth that is commensurate with
services projects set out in Table 10.1, subject to appropriate environmental assessment and the planning process.	the carrying capacity of water services and prevent adverse impacts on the integrity of water dependent
RPO 10.3: The Regional Assembly and local authorities shall	habitats and species within the Natura 2000 network.
liaise and cooperate with Irish Water to ensure the delivery of Irish Water’s Investments and other relevant investment works programme of Irish Water that will provide infrastructure to increase capacity to service settlements in accordance with the settlement strategy of the RSES and local authority core strategies, and provide for long term solutions for waste water treatment for the Region.	RPO 10.8: Encourage the development of a new rural
	settlement investment approach, coordinating Irish Water, local authority, developer and community led solutions to ensuring that sustainable water services solutions are progressively implemented.
	RPO 10.9: Local authorities and Irish Water should
RPO 10.4: Support Irish Water and the relevant	work together to examine significant raw water sources which may be made redundant by the Water Supply
local authorities in the Region to reduce leakage, minimising demand for capital investment.	Project for the Eastern and Midlands Region with a view to reserving and protecting them for future
RPO 10.5: Work closely with Irish Water to revise the	back up or ‘windfall’ type economic development
opportunities where high water use is required. Draft Investment Plan (2020-2024) and subsequent investment plans to align the supply of water services with the settlement strategy and objectives of the EMRA Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy.	opportunities where high water use is required.

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Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy

Urban Waste Water Treatment

The Greater Dublin Drainage Project aims to provide drainage infrastructure to support the continued development of the Greater Dublin Area. The project aims to provide long term sustainable wastewater drainage and treatment.

REGIONAL POLICY OBJECTIVES:

The elimination of untreated discharges from settlements in the short term, while planning strategically for longterm growth and taking account of the requirements of the Urban WW Directive should underpin the approach to waste water treatment in the Region.

Waste Water Treatment

RPO 10.10: Support Irish Water and the relevant local authorities in the Region to eliminate untreated discharges from settlements in the short term, while planning strategically for long term growth in tandem with Project Ireland 2040 and in increasing compliance with the requirements of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive from 39% today to 90% by the end of 2021, to 99% by 2027 and to 100% by 2040.

As with the approach to water supply, EMRA supports the development of a new rural settlement investment approach, coordinating Irish Water, local authority, developer and community led solutions to ensure that sustainable water services solutions are progressively implemented in the Region.

RPO 10.11: EMRA supports the delivery of the waste water infrastructure set out in Table 10.2, subject to appropriate environmental assessment and the planning process.

Table 10.2: Waste Water Infrastructure

The Greater Dublin Drainage Project

RPO 10.12: Development plans shall support strategic wastewater treatment infrastructure investment and provide for the separation of foul and surface water networks to accommodate the future growth of the Region.

The Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Plant Project

The Athlone Main Drainage Project

The Upper Liffey Valley Sewerage Scheme

RPO 10.13: EMRA shall support appropriate options for the extraction of energy and other resources from sewerage sludge in the Region.

RPO 10.14: EMRA supports the servicing of rural villages (serviced sites) to provide an alternative to one-off housing in the countryside, in line with RPO 4.78.

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Infrastructure

Surface Water

Approaches to manage surface water that take account of water quantity (flooding), water quality (pollution), biodiversity (wildlife and plants) and amenity are collectively referred to as Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS). SuDS mimic nature and typically manage rainfall close to where it falls thereby reducing the risk of fluvial and pluvial flooding and can be regarded as a sequence of management practices, control structures and strategies designed to efficiently and sustainably drain surface water, while minimising pollution and managing the impact on water quality of local water bodies77. Flood mitigation measures also seek to mitigate adverse potential impacts of climate change such as sea level rise, more intense rainfall with wetter winters and warmer summers.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The following Guiding Principles for SuDs shall be incorporated into development plans and LAPs:

• Include policies and actions to encourage the integration of ‘soft’ measures including SuDs, green space, Green Infrastructure and permeable surfaces in the design of drainage and sustainable water management of existing and future developments.

• Identify areas where SuDS will or may be required to be incorporated.

• Include objectives requiring the use of SuDS in public and private developments in urban areas, both within developments and within the public realm to minimise and limit the extent of hard surfacing and paving and require the use of sustainable drainage techniques for new development or for extensions to existing developments, in order to reduce the potential impact of existing and predicted flooding risks.

SuDS can play a role in reducing and managing runoff from new developments to surface water drainage systems, reducing the impact of such developments on flood risk downstream, as well as improving water quality and contributing to local amenity.

The incorporation of the principle of Sustainable Urban Drainage (SuDs) in all public and private developments in urban areas is recommended as is the need for diversion of storm water from combined sewers where possible in order to overcome challenges in relation to management of surface water and its separation from foul sewage.

• Take opportunities to enhance biodiversity and amenity and to ensure the protection of environmentally sensitive sites and habitats, including where flood risk management measures are planned. Plans and projects that have the potential to negatively impact on Natura 2000 sites should be subject to the requirements of the Habitats Directive.

REGIONAL POLICY OBJECTIVES:

• Encourage the use of Green Roofs where expansive roofs are proposed such as industrial, apartment, civic, commercial, leisure and educational buildings, and non-porous surfacing to create safe places.

Surface Water

RPO 10.15: Support the relevant local authorities (and Irish Water where relevant) in the Region to improve storm water infrastructure to improve sustainable drainage and reduce the risk of flooding in the urban environment and in the development and provision at a local level of Sustainable Urban Drainage solutions.

• Seek to reduce the extent of hard surfacing and paving as well as requiring the use of sustainable drainage techniques. Where possible, consideration should be given to measures that have benefits for both WFD and flood risk management objectives, such as natural water retention measures, and also for biodiversity and potentially other objectives.

RPO 10.16: Implement policies contained in the Greater Dublin Strategic Drainage Study (GDSDS), including SuDS.

RPO 10.17: Implement the specific recommendations of the GDSDS in relation to Climate Change Regional Drainage Policies for all relevant developments within the Region.

RPO 10.18: Local authorities shall ensure adequate surface water drainage systems are in place which meet the requirements of the Water Framework Directive and the associated River Basin Management Plans.

77 https://www.susdrain.org/delivering-suds/using-suds/background/sustainable-drainage.html)

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Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy