The route of the € 1.2 billion, 170 km water pipeline from the Shannon River to Dublin and the midlands has been published in Ireland. Some 550 landowners will be affected by the construction.

Given anticipated water shortages in the near future, Irish Water, the utility, says the project will supply 330 million litres a day to Dublin and the midlands, equivalent to “125 Olympic-sized swimming pools” daily.

Irish Water cites forecasts that the population of the Greater Dublin Area will rise from 1.5 million, as it was recorded in the 2011 census, to 2.1 million by 2050.

The project does have its detractors: the River Shannon Protection Alliance said Dublin had no shortage of raw water but “insufficient treated water”, and argued that eastern groundwater supplies should be explored.