Irish Water is in the middle of construction for their new €59m 100 million litre Saggart Reservoir which will provide a more secure water supply for homes and businesses in the greater Dublin area, Dublin Mid-West’s TD has said. Deputy Emer Higgins, visited the Saggart Reservoir site to get an update on how construction on the project is progressing. Deputy Higgins said: “It was great to visit the site and see how things are progressing on what is such a massive local and regional project.
“Once completed, the Saggart Reservoir will provide additional water infrastructure for the greater Dublin area, to support the building of homes and schools, to attract new industry and to allow companies to expand and grow. “It will also improve the drinking water supply and it will mean that shortages or shut-offs for maintenance will be easier avoided as the reservoir will provide an additional source of water for homes and businesses. “I know myself that disruptions in water service can be massively troublesome, so this project will ensure those disruptions are avoided and will strengthen Dublin’s water infrastructure allowing better quality and quantity of supply.
“The new reservoir will have a storage capacity equivalent to providing a daily water supply for almost 300,000 homes,” added Deputy Higgins. “As part of the project a significant amount of topsoil is being removed to make way for the construction of the reservoir which will hold the equivalent of 40 swimming pools worth of water. “Some of the excavated topsoil is being reused on the site as berms to the reservoir and the excess soil is being transported to two local sites, because waste soil and stone are a by-product and they can be used in place of raw material on sites with planning in the locality. “Both Irish Water, and its contractor Coffey Construction, were keen that the top soil stays in the local area where possible because of the environmental and cost implications of transporting so many truck loads a far distance.
“A site on the Boherboy Road was originally proposed for soil but it would have had a negative impact on residents in a small estate and would have created a lot of traffic and safety issues and I supported those residents to push back against that proposal. “It’s great to see the project now almost at the half-way mark and I’m really looking forward to the massive advances in water quality and supply that this reservoir will provide for the people of Dublin,” concluded Deputy Higgins.
