Chronic water infrastructure shortage is halting housing developments in Waterford
A shortage of infrastructure to deliver fresh drinking water in rural Waterford is preventing developers from progressing housing developments.
Raising the issue last week, Cllr Declan Clune said the issue is seriously impacting Portlaw in particular.
“The issue is there’s a chronic lack of freshwater supply from Uisce Eireann in the Portlaw area, which is obviously going to stifle any future developments” he said.
“There are one or two sites that have planning, but there’s no point having planning unless we can provide the infrastructure."
Cllr Clune added that “it’s a mystery” why Portlaw is not being serviced by the nearby Adamstown water treatment plant.
“We are in the midst of a housing crisis and Portlaw is suffering over the last twenty years in terms of rural decline. We have to encourage Uisce Eireann to do whatever is necessary to facilitate future development.”
Director of Housing with Waterford City and County Council, Seamus De Faoite, has said that government has an allocation of €1 billion euro available to boost the delivery of public infrastructure projects in order to unlock housing sites.
Mr. De Faoite said that there will be future calls for developers to apply for this fund, which may be the answer to progressing private housing developments in Waterford.
Meanwhile, Uisce Eireann have today welcomed new framework for the delivery of water and wastewater services up to 2029.
In County Waterford, a number of critical water and wastewater infrastructure projects will be progressed, including Ballinamuck Water Treatment Plant upgrade and the Dungarvan wastewater network upgrade
Also included in Uisce Eireann's refreshed Capital Investment Plan is upgrades to the Adamstown Water Treatment Plant and booster pumps in Tramore to facilitate growth, both of which will not be complete until 2028.
Minister of State for Local Government and Planning at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, John Cummins said:
"In counties like Waterford, this funding will play a key role in supporting local growth and development, strengthening infrastructure and ensuring that homes and businesses can rely on high-quality, resilient water services.
"Critically, it will support housing delivery by enabling new connections and addressing infrastructure constraints in key growth areas."
(Funded by the Local Democracy Scheme)
