Irish Water Services Strategic Plan.

This publication contains the full text of the Irish Water Services Strategic Plan, which in accordance with related European Directives that give special protection to identified areas which are important for drinking water supply, nature conservation, bathing and fisheries.
The text is divided into eight main thematic Chapters as listed: 1. Introduction; 2. Challenges and strategic priorities; 3. Objective number 1: Meet customer expectations; 4. Objective number 2: Ensure a safe and reliable water supply; 5. Objective number 3: Provide effective management of wastewater; 6. Objective number 4: Protect and enhance the environment; 7. Objective number 5: Support social and economic growth; 8. Objective number 6: Invest in our future.
This Water Services Strategic Plan (WSSP) sets out strategic objectives for the delivery of water services over the next 25 years up to 2040. It details current and future challenges which affect the provision of water services and identifies the priorities to be tackled in the short and medium term. In developing the plan, we have considered its interaction with other national and regional strategic plans such as the National Spatial Strategy and River Basin Management Plans. This plan (Tier 1) also provides the context for subsequent detailed implementation plans (Tier 2) which will document the approach to be used for key water service areas such as water resource management, wastewater compliance and sludge management. Strategic objectives here identified shall be reached with several implementing aims as follows: Meet customer expectations (establish both customer trust and a reputation for excellent service); Ensure a safe and reliable water supply (manage the sustainability and quality of drinking or potable water from source to tap to protect human health; manage the availability, sustainability and reliability of water supply now and into the future; manage water supplies in an efficient and economic manner); Provide effective management of wastewater (manage the operation of wastewater facilities in a manner that protects environmental quality; manage the availability and resilience of wastewater services now and into the future; manage wastewater services in an efficient and economic manner); Protect and enhance the environment (ensure that Irish water services are delivered in a sustainable manner which contributes to the protection of the environment; operate our water services infrastructure to support the achievement of water body objectives under the water framework directive and our obligations under the birds and habitats Directives; manage all our residual waste in a sustainable manner); Support social and economic growth (support national, regional and local economic and spatial planning policy; facilitate growth in line with national and regional economic and spatial planning policy; ensure that water services are provided in a timely and cost effective manner); Invest in our future (asset management-manage our assets and investments in accordance with best practice asset management principles to deliver a high quality secure and sustainable service at lowest cost; balanced sustainable investment-invest in our assets while maintaining a sustainable balance between meeting customer standards, protecting the environment and supporting the economic development and growth of the country; sustainable funding model-establish a sustainable funding model to ensure that Irish water can deliver the required capital investment in order to achieve the required outcomes; research and innovation-promote research and develop proven, innovative technical solutions to meet standards set by our regulators including our objectives for cost and energy efficiency, including hydropower generation and renewable energy). Protecting and improving the long-term quality of the water environment enables safe, affordable water services as well as protecting human health and biodiversity. Many sectors have activities which impact on the water environment including emissions from industry, polluted run-off from agriculture, private household septic tanks as well as our water and wastewater services. The plan will also include strategies for addressing water quality issues related to pesticides, trihalomethanes (chemical compounds formed when chlorine used to disinfect drinking water reacts with organic matter) and sludges resulting from water treatment processes. A balance needs to be struck between national activities that impact on the water environment and the ability of the environment to sustain these impacts over both the short and longer term. Climate Climate change in Ireland is predicted to cause a greater frequency of extreme weather events which could result both in increased flooding risk and periods of drought. It is important to ensure that water services are adapted to the impacts of climate change in terms of: Adapting our assets to be resilient to climate change impacts; Mitigating our climate impact by reducing our carbon footprint; Supporting the objectives of the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan through targeted investments and adapting asset operations.