The opening ceremony for the Murphy Ireland built, state-of-the-art covered reservoir and associated works at Stillorgan Co. Dublin, took place yesterday with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien in attendance. The Stillorgan Reservoir Upgrade project means that the water supply to over 200,000 people across Dublin and Wicklow is now safe and secure through 2031 and beyond. The upgraded reservoir can store over 160 million litres of treated drinking water and has replaced three open reservoirs at this site, which were no longer fit for purpose. The project represents an investment of over €50m by the client Irish Water. The Stillorgan Reservoir Upgrade is the latest in a number of major upgrades of water supplies in the Greater Dublin Area, designed to future-proof the supply to cater for increasing demand, population growth and the challenges that are likely to be presented by climate change. Officially opening the new reservoir, Minister O’Brien described the project as a “critical element in the ongoing modernisation of the water supply for the Greater Dublin Area.” Adding: “Congratulations to Irish Water and all their partners for delivering this landmark project.” John G. Murphy, Managing Director, Murphy Ireland said: “This project is a testament to the great collaborative effort of everyone involved including Irish Water, Nicholas O’ Dwyer and of course all our own employees, who worked tirelessly to deliver this massively important piece of strategic infrastructure on time and to budget, despite external challenges including Brexit and Covid 19. Over the last 54 years, Murphy Ireland has built a reputation for quality and excellence, offering industry-leading services in civil engineering, transport infrastructure, piling, tunnelling, structural steel, pipe fabrication and weld testing services, as well as fully integrated turnkey solutions to both the municipal and industrial water sectors, encompassing all aspects of design, construction and operation and maintenance. This reputation could not have been built without the wonderful work of our people and teams, supported by valued, long-standing clients like Irish Water.” Niall Gleeson, Irish Water CEO said: “We all recognise the need to improve our ageing water infrastructure and the completion of this project is another important step along the road to building a secure and sustainable water supply for the people of Dublin for generations to come. We would like to thank the local community for their patience and support as we carried out this essential work, as well as our delivery partners in Dublin City Council, Nicholas O’Dwyer Ltd and Murphy Ireland.” The original Stillorgan Reservoir site comprised of three open reservoirs and was one of the last remaining uncovered treated water reservoirs in Europe, where treated drinking water was left exposed to the elements, with consequent risk of contamination. The construction of the new covered reservoir will eliminate that risk and enable better management of the supply of water to customers. Construction work began on the upgrade project in 2018 with the draining down of the Gray Reservoir, which had not been fully drained since it was built in the late 1800s. The new reservoir and associated infrastructure will have the capacity to support future water demand through 2031 and beyond. For more on the Stillorgan Reservoir Upgrade see: Stillorgan Reservoir – Our Projects | Murphy Ireland (murphygroup.com)
