South Dublin County Council have carried out an assessment of the water.
A number of community groups have voiced concerns regarding the condition of the River Poddle, with the water running through it being likened to milk and bleach in recent weeks. The river rises in Cookstown, Tallaght and flows north-east through Tymon Park and on through Templeogue, Kimmage, Harold’s Cross, Tenters and Temple Bar.
Local campaigners say the discolouration is a “recurring problem”, and could be the result of pollution from local businesses. Following a recent assessment, South Dublin County Council believe the pollution to be the result of material being dumped into the stormwater drainage system to a road gulley, and say the discharge is not coming from a fixed premises.
Via Facebook/Cairde Pháirc Thigh Motháin – Friends of Tymon Park
Róisín McAleer, campaigner and admin of the Save the Poddle group on Twitter has reported the issue to the Council and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) “many times”, and is frustrated to see that time after time, “nothing meaningful is done to stop the pollution”.
Speaking to Lovin, Róisín said:
“I would like to see genuine effort to stop the pollution. I’d like to see an end to the outdated Arterial Drainage Act. Our rivers are being turned into drains. The rapid degradation of rivers like the Poddle means that when the river status declines there is less respect for it, and it can be further abused for investment and development.
The frustrating part is that reporting and investigations make no odds. Nothing changes. The system is set up that way to protect profit above all else, in my opinion”.
This is how our rivers look under the auspices of local authorities.
The Poddle, Tymon Park.
29th September 2023. pic.twitter.com/JOAGRYfpFU— Save the Poddle (@SavePoddle) September 29, 2023
When contacted by Lovin regarding the issue, South Dublin County Council said:
“South Dublin County Council received a report of pollution in the River Poddle on Friday 29th September. The Water Pollution Section attended the Park to assess the nature of the pollution and collect a sample. An assessment of the upstream stormwater drainage catchment was made, and a location was identified to be the likely source. It was determined the discharge was not from a fixed premises but rather a dump of material into the stormwater drainage system through a road gulley. A sample was also collected from this location.
A further assessment of the catchment was made on Saturday 30th September and Monday 2nd October with the aim of gathering evidence and this work continues. The Council are not aware of any noticeable impact on fish, and bird life in the Park seem to be largely unaffected by the incident. The Council will continue its investigation into this incident to prevent further such discharges”.
Header image via Twitter / Save The Poddle / Wikipedia
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