Tolka fish kill probed

A BLOCKED sewer near Littlepace in Dublin 15 is believed to be the source of pollution that caused the latest fish kill in the Tolka River.

Dead fish were recorded over a 5km stretch of the river that’s used by local angling groups, fishing enthusiasts and local children.

The incident was confirmed by Inland Fisheries Ireland on Friday, September 21 but happened the previous Tuesday afternoon (September 18).

The latest fish kill comes just over a year after up to 500 fish died when a blocked sewer in Mulhuddart caused pollution to flow down the river for almost three kilometres.

In 2014 an estimated 5,000 fish were killed after an accidental spillage of detergent from a factory ended up in the river.

Cllr Roderic O’Gorman (GP) expressed his anger over the latest kill and said he would be raising the incident at the next Fingal County Council meeting.

“It appears that a sewer pipe near Littlepace estate blocked, overflowed and the sewage flowed under the N3 and pooled on the northside of the road, then subsequently flowed into the Tolka,” he said.

“A number of dead mature fish have been found in the river below the Mulhuddart Bridge.”

“This is the second fish kill caused by a blocked sewage pipe on the Tolka in two years.”

Inland Fisheries Ireland and Fingal County Council worked to unblock the sewer and remove any remaining waste after the incident was reported.

Inland Fisheries Ireland confirmed they received reports of a fish kill on the afternoon of September 18.

“Inland Fisheries Ireland personnel immediately attended the scene to commence an investigation,” a spokesperson said.

“A significant source of polluting material has been identified and samples have been taken for analysis.

“Dead fish have been recorded over approximately a 5km stretch of river.

“Inland Fisheries Ireland understands that relevant parties are undertaking appropriate remedial action. The investigation is continuing at this time.”

Cllr O’Gorman said it was frustrating to see similar incidents of sewer pollution ending up in the river happening two years in a row.

“Local clubs like the Tolka River Environmental Alliance have done so much over a number of years to re-stock and rejuvenate the river,” he added.

“All this work can be wiped away in a matter of hours by effluent entering the river. There must be improved monitoring measures undertaken to ensure that this does not happen again.”

Mulhuddart Solidarity Councillor Matt Waine said he was calling on Irish Water to attend a meeting of the Castleknock Mulhuddart Local Committee to explain what they are doing to protect the Tolka River.

"Responsibility for ensuring that sewers are well maintained and that blockages are detected and remedied before causing such environmental destruction lies with Irish Water,” he added.

"This is the second time in almost a year that the Tolka River has suffered a substantial level of contamination and pollution resulting in a significant fish kill.

“It was a miracle that there were fish in the river recently, given what happened last year, as it can take many years for rivers to recover from such incidents."

Irish Water is upgrading the existing sewer network serving Blanchardstown and surrounding catchment areas in Mulhuddart and Castleknock.

The €50 million project will increase sewer capacity and reduce the frequency and volume of overflows of untreated wastewater from the network into the River Tolka.

The existing sewer network was originally constructed in the 1970s and doesn’t have the capacity to serve the area’s fast growing population.