Biologist fears Lough Derg water move poses risks

CONCERN about the proposed extraction of 500 million litres daily of water from Lough Derg during prolonged periods of low-flow and drought has been expressed by a north Tipperary marine biologist.

Dublin City Council is seeking permission to pump raw water during high flow and flooding periods from northern Lough Derg into large-scale storage lakes in Offaly for the Dublin region.

But local campaigners fear this will be extended to low-flow as the population in the city is projected to increase to 2.2 million by 2031.