{mosimage}Fix leaks, reduce and recycle before building pipeline or desalination plant

The Green Party has dismissed a proposal to overcome future water
shortages in the Dublin area by piping in water from the River Shannon,
saying the Government’s top priority should be to conserve water and
repair existing leaks in the system.
Green Party Planning spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe TD responded to a feasibility study prepared by Dublin City Council and submitted to the Department of the Environment, which suggests moving water from Lough Ree to houses in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow via a 100km pipeline – or building a plant to convert seawater into freshwater.
Deputy Cuffe said: "There are ways to meet future water demand in the Dublin area that require neither a €500m pipeline running half way across the country, nor a huge, energy intensive desalination plant in Dublin Bay. Simple measures to fix leaks in the water system and encourage the re-use of rainwater and greywater – from sinks, showers and washing machines – will greatly reduce fresh water consumption.
"Instead of building infrastructure to encourage consumption, Ireland could and should become a leader in water use and supply efficiency. It can encourage progress in this area through changes in building legislation to reward water-efficient properties. This requires fresh thinking from local authorities as well as amendments from the Environment Minister Dick Roche to modernise building regulations."
Green Party General Election candidate for Dublin North East, Cllr David Healy added: "Dublin City Council is charging ahead with design work on new methods of supplying water without seriously considering the benefits of recycling and reducing demand. Leaks account for 30 – 40 per cent of the water currently flowing through the mains system – some of which dates back to the 19th century. Fixing those, and empowering local authorities to fix leaky pipes, would greatly increase supply. In an attempt to minimise the leaks mains water pressure is kept deliberately low which means that all buildings need to have an internal tank rather than direct feeds, as is typical in continental Europe. This has significant health impacts.
"Greywater from sinks, showers and washing machines accounts for 50-80% of all waste water used in a typical house and can be reused for other purposes including irrigation. Harvesting of rainwater, which for most months of the year is in plentiful supply in this country can also be used to flush toilets. Recycling water in this way will significantly reduce the amount of energy and chemicals used across the water system. Rather than embark on another massive engineering project, which, quite frankly, they do not have a good track record on, Dublin’s city planners and the Government should be taking a lead in reducing usage and recycling water, starting with public buildings."
[ENDS]
Information:
Ciarán Cuffe TD: 01 618 3082 / 087 265 2075
Cllr David Healy: 01 832 4087 / 087 617 8852
Damian Connon, Press Office: 01 618 3852 / 087 228 1119