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Drainage Division

What services do we provide?

Maintain 2,500km of public sewer.
Construct approximately 2,000 metres of new sewer each year.
Provide connections to the sewerage infrastructure for new developments
Repair public sewers.
NOTE: Responsibility for clearing blockages or repairing defects in a private shared drain is a matter to be resolved by the residents that are served by it, please click here for further information.
Clean and maintain 50,000 road gullies each year. Each gully is targeted to be cleaned at least once a year, with city centre gullies cleaned three - four times annually. The gully cleaning operation is managed through a computerised recording system.
Provide an emergency service in the event of flooding.
Provide an emergency service to respond to sewer blockages and spillages.
Issue licences for trade effluent and sewage effluent discharges to sewers and waters.
Provide for the disposal of sludge/tankered waste in the Main Lift Pumping Station subject to the approval of the Pollution Control Section.
Investigate and deal with water pollution incidents as they arise.
Survey properties for misconnections of foul sewerage system to surface water system and surface water system to foul water system.
Provide pre-planning consultations for engineers, architects, developers etc., and advise on relevant drainage standards for construction and design of drainage works.
Process approximately 6,000 planning applications each year to ensure compliance with Drainage Division requirements as outlined in the Greater Dublin Regional Code of Practice for Drainage Works.

Fats, Oils and Grease Programme

Dublin City Council’s Drainage Division has experienced a significant increase in the number and frequency of blockages in the public drainage network caused by Fats, Oils and Grease. These blockages can result in flooding and/or environmental pollution of rivers and streams.

The objective of the FOG programme is to prevent blockages in the public drainage network by restricting the discharges of FOG
from FSEs. Read more about the programme or download the frequently asked questions about the programme.

In line with best practices internationally in the environmental field, Drainage Division will control the discharge of FOG to the drainage system by issuing licences under the Water Pollution Act, to an FSE. These licences will require the individual outlet to limit the amount of FOG they can discharge down their drains.