Greater Dublin Drainage Project

Uisce Éireann’s plan to unlock growth, safeguard the environment and facilitate housing in the GDA.

Project Overview

Our purpose is to deliver transformative water services that enable communities to thrive. The Greater Dublin Drainage (GDD) Project is an essential national infrastructure project to develop a new regional wastewater treatment facility and associated infrastructure to serve north Dublin and parts of the surrounding counties of Kildare and Meath.

GDD represents the next major step in the development of our wastewater infrastructure for Dublin and the surrounding counties. In July 2025, An Coimisiún Pleanála granted planning permission for this critical project. Once operational, the GDD Project will have the capacity to provide wastewater treatment for the equivalent of half a million people living and working in this area.

GDD is a key part of Uisce Éireann's investment in new wastewater infrastructure in Greater Dublin. The GDD Project will:

safeguard public health;
improve and protect the environment;
support the delivery of housing in North Dublin and parts of Kildare and Meath;
facilitate employment, social progress & economic growth in the wider Dublin region.

Location

Dublin

Status

Planned

Type

Wastewater

The Project

To meet the needs of our growing population, the GDD project solution consists of:

A new regional wastewater treatment facility and sludge hub centre on a 30 hectare site at Clonshagh (Clonshaugh)

An underground orbital sewer from Blanchardstown to Clonshagh (Clonshaugh), including a new pumping station at Abbotstown

A sewer to divert part of the North Fringe Sewer to the new treatment facility

An outfall pipe from the wastewater treatment facility discharging the treated water to the Irish Sea

A regional biosolids storage facility located at Newtown/Kilshane, Dublin 11

Why we need the GDD

Adequate wastewater collection and treatment capacity in the Greater Dublin Area is vital to social and economic growth including provision for new housing and protecting public health and the environment.

As our population and economy grows, so too does the volume of wastewater. The amount of wastewater generated in greater Dublin is projected to increase by over 50% in the period to 2050.

Record growth in the wastewater collected in the GDA Catchment.

Growth over the 2023/2024 exceeding all previous projections.

Existing treatment facilities are operating near or above capacity.

49% of all Ireland’s wastewater is treated in the GDA and 40% at Ringsend WWTP.

Volume of wastewater projected to increase by at least 20% by 2031.

Volume of wastewater in the Greater Dublin Area is projected to increase by 50% by 2050.

By 2028 Uisce Éireann will be unable to grant new connections to the wastewater network in major parts of the Greater Dublin Area.

Delays to the delivery of Greater Dublin Drainage Project will severely constrain growth and development, including housing, in the GDA, with serious consequences for current and future generations.

GDD is a once-in-a-generation project that will protect public health, safeguard our environment and facilitate growth to 2050 and beyond.

GDD will provide wastewater capacity for the equivalent of half a million people within the Greater Dublin Area. The GDD Project will treat wastewater arising in Fingal (areas from Blanchardstown to Clonshagh (Clonshaugh) including from the Dublin Airport Zone), from northern parts of Dublin City, from south-east Meath and from north-east Kildare. GDD will release critical treatment and network capacity in other parts of the Ringsend Catchment.

GDD will provide 500,000 PE within the Greater Dublin Area catchment. This will release critical treatment and network capacity in other parts of the Ringsend Catchment.

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Project Benefits

GDD is critical to supporting needs of growing population and economy

GDD will meet needs of key growth areas in GDA

It will provide the wastewater treatment and network capacity required in the medium and long term in areas including Leixlip, Blanchardstown, Clonee, Dunboyne, Ashbourne and Ratoath.

GDD critical to support demand for new housing

Without the timely delivery of GDD it will not be possible to meet the target of 50,000 new houses a year, half which will be in the GDA.

GDD is key to Economic Growth

Delivery of water and wastewater infrastructure and services delivery underpin Project Ireland 2040 and is the backbone to social and economic development.

Delivery of GDD is vital - No Plan B

The reality is the delivery of GDD Project is critical to meet the wastewater needs of the GDA and there is no viable alternative.

Next Steps

Uisce Éireann will shortly progress with the contractor procurement process for the construction of the project. The construction of the wastewater treatment plant and associated orbital sewer, marine outfall and pumping station is estimated to take three years.