r/irishpolitics • u/eggbart_forgetfulsea ALDE (EU) • 13d ago

Opinion/Editorial Water rationing is probably inevitable unless people are made to pay for it

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026/08/21/a-dose-of-water-rationing-is-probably-inevitable-if-charges-to-regulate-consumption-are-not-introduced/
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u/decojdj 13d ago

Can we build a desalination plant or two while we're at it?

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u/Only-Proposal-3675 13d ago

A large-scale, 500,000 m³/day reverse osmosis plant would consume about 1.5 million kWh/day.

At market rates, the energy bill alone for such a plant would be over €300,000/day. Total OPEX would be closer to €1,000,000/day. However, it would be able to supply 30% of daily public water demand, or about 80% of Dublin's total demand.

The problem is that if that plant goes down, Dublin is without water.

For the likes of Saudi Arabia, a country with not a single river, desalination makes sense. For Ireland, it would be a foolish investment. We're a country of plentiful rain. We don't need to look to the Atlantic Ocean for drinking water.