Help Protect Our Rivers: Check for Household Misconnections

Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council is encouraging residents to check for household misconnections and play their part in protecting local rivers and streams.

A misconnection occurs when wastewater from toilets, sinks, dishwashers, showers or washing machines is incorrectly connected to the clean surface water drainage system. Instead of going to a wastewater treatment plant, this polluted water flows directly into nearby rivers and streams.

This pollution contains bacteria, chemicals and oils that can seriously harm aquatic life and impact the quality of local waterways, as well as creating unpleasant sights and smells.

The Council’s Water Pollution team carries out surveys in selected areas across the county to identify misconnections. If a misconnection is found, the team will explain the issue clearly to the property owner and allow time for it to be repaired.

It is the responsibility of the property owner to fix any misconnection. While the Council cannot carry out the repair works, the Water Pollution team will provide advice and guidance to help resolve the issue. In many cases, misconnections are straightforward and inexpensive to fix, and can often be addressed by a householder or a local plumber.

Once the issue has been resolved, residents are asked to contact the Water Pollution team, who will arrange to carry out a follow-up check.