A new water supply source is needed for Irish Water's Eastern and Midlands Region.
Irish Water's published a report warning that demand for water in Dublin alone is set to increase by over 50% by 2050.
The report points out recent water outages in Dublin cost the Irish economy over €78 million a day.
Irish water's "Need Report" for the proposed Eastern and Midlands Region Water Supply Project, found that Ireland failed to adequately invest in water supply infrastructure for over half a century.
215 million litres a day extra
The report which draws on extensive independent expert research, points out that saving water from conservation programmes and leakage reductions, won't be enough to deliver the quantities of water needed for future requirements.
It concludes that even after using the available water from existing sources, significant additional water will be required.
215 million litres a day extra will be needed by 2050 for the Dublin region alone.
A new source must be developed and utilised.
Irish water has now begun an 8 week consultation process - and all the issues will be taken on board in preparing an Options Working Paper, which will be published later this year.
It's hoped a preferred option will be agreed, taking feedback into account, and submitted to An Bord Pleanala for planning approval in 2017.
Irish Water has spent over half a million euro on public advertisements
Meanwhile, Today Fm this morning reported that Irish Water has spent over half a million euro on public advertisements, trying to encourage people to sign up.
The spending forms over half of Irish Water’s total advertising costs since it was set up.
In total, Irish Water has spent around €1.1 million on advertising between its foundation in mid-2013, and the end of last year, Today Fm reported this morning.
Over half of that bill went on advertising in the last quarter of last year - as Irish Water kickstarted its drive to get people to sign up.
In total, the application campaign set the utility back over €580,000, as it fought to win public support amid a series of increasingly big demonstrations against its very existence.
Irish Water had also spent 400,000 euro a year earlier on an advertising campaign designed specifically to convince people of the value of their water network.
It spent €56,000 advertising in newspapers, trying to get people to sign up.
Around HALF of that money went on ads outlining the finer details of the water charges system - the same system which the government then decided to abolish barely six weeks after it kicked in.
