Details of a controversial scheme to take thousands of gallons of water from Lough Derg to provide drinking water for Dublin have been revealed.
The project if approved would see the water stored in a giant reservoir in the Midlands and the entire project could be completed in six years.
The proposals would also see the bogland converted into a local water park and reservoir
This highly controversial Government-funded project would seen 350 million litres of water a day drawn from the River Shannon to serve the Dublin region.
The council plans to draw water from the northern part of Lough Derg near Portumna in Co Galway during the winter when there is a risk of flooding and the water will then be stored in the Garryhinch cutaway bog near Portarlington in Co Offaly before being pumped to Dublin.
The reservoir will be built by Bord na Mona, which owns the bog, and the water will be treated before being transported to the capital through a pipe buried two metres underground.
The project would also create a natural amenity in the Midlands for sailing fishing and birdwatching
An environmental impact statement will be carried out however the project does not require the permission of any local authority in the Shannon region, and is likely to meet stiff opposition from west of Ireland interests
