1,400-acre reservoir will store water from Shannon to quench East’s thirst

Plans for a 1,400-acre reservoir storing water pumped from the River Shannon to cater for Dublin and the East coast’s drinking water needs from 2018 will be lodged next month.

Dublin City Council is to seek planning permission to develop a €426m reservoir in Laois which will create 1,000 jobs during construction and provide two months’ back-up water supply to Dublin, Wicklow, Meath, and Kildare.

The reservoir could provide up to 350m litres of water a day.