Housing development in Leitrim on hold for years, councillors warn after Uisce Éireann talks

Leitrim councillors met with representatives from Uisce Éireann on Monday, September 8 at Áras an Chontae in Carrick-on-Shannon, armed with 60 questions seeking updates on issues ranging from frequent leakages and bursts in South Leitrim to the need for increased capacity at the town’s main water treatment plant.

The two-hour meeting provided some clarity on certain matters but also caused frustration, particularly regarding constraints around housing developments in the county.

One of the main outcomes was confirmation from Uisce Éireann that they are planning a €32 million upgrade to the Carrick-on-Shannon water treatment plant, which is already operating at full capacity. 

However, due to planning, land acquisition, and other requirements, the new section of the plant is not expected to be commissioned until 2030.

“As it stands the plant is pumping 24/7 and there’s a fine line between what’s available water wise and what the demand is. There’s going to be water issues in South Leitrim for a considerable number of years,” Cllr Enda McGloin said.

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Cllr McGloin described the meeting as “useful” but noted that councillors’ ability to lobby on certain issues was “left short.” 

The lack of a clear timeline for increasing the plant’s capacity, he said, is creating nervousness as it is directly hindering housing development in the county. This, in turn, delays the delivery of much-needed homes and causes knock-on effects elsewhere.

“It would be great if even a year or two can be cut off because it stiffens growth in terms of the population, local economy and housing. The upgrades in various other parts may facilitate housing but we can see no major development of housing in the county until that plant is certainly increased by the 66 percent that they’re suggesting,” he added.

Cllr McGloin suggested introducing a system where, when someone applies for pre-planning, a liaison officer from Uisce Éireann would meet directly with the developer to encourage progress where possible.

Despite this, Uisce Éireann representatives reiterated that housing is their number one priority, a claim many find difficult to believe, given that developments in towns such as Leitrim Village continue to be stalled by limited and insufficient wastewater capacity.

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In the meantime, Uisce Éireann confirmed plans for upgrade and capacity works at Mong reservoir, though no timeline was provided.

Cllr Gary Prior welcomed one firm commitment of 2.85km of replacement works planned for 2026 on the Fenagh to Ardrum line. He described this as “a very good commitment” and “one positive from the day.”

“It’s a hugely problematic section of watermain. If we could get that into the ground it might help capacity and leakage in the area,” he said.

Figures presented at the meeting showed that Leitrim experienced 65 outages in 2024, with the number for 2025 likely to be higher due to the frequency of bursts. 

Leakage levels currently stand at 30 percent, a figure which, according to Cllr Prior, was deemed “acceptable enough.”

On the lack of a definite timeline for the Carrick-on-Shannon plant, he commented, “It will hold but we can’t make further developments in construction and housing until we get the capacity upped. They keep stressing that housing is the priority, yet storage is a massive problem. That was a big disappointment that it’s not this side of 2030.”

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Cllr Prior also asked whether, in the event of another storm, Uisce Éireann would provide generators at pump stations to ensure continuity of supply for homes and businesses. Uisce Éireann gave a commitment to this and confirmed that a winter plan is in place for Leitrim.

“It was a bit frustrating, there’s no doubt. We had a lot of questions and didn’t get a whole lot of answers,” he added.

Uisce Éireann is expected to meet again with Council staff, but uncertainty remains around timelines for further upgrades and infrastructure developments. 

In particular, South Leitrim faces severe ongoing challenges, with housing construction effectively delayed until water capacity issues are resolved.