Could you be unintentionally polluting North Wales rivers?
pollution emergency
North Wales Rivers are being subjected to high levels of pollution, pushing species to the brink of extinction.
With the devastating effects of sewage discharges, road run off and the agricultural industry on our rivers it can often feel like the future health of our rivers is out of our control. With this campaign we’re encouraging you to look at your homes & habits to check for signs of ‘silent pollution’ and to take action on the things within your control.
misconnections matter
What is a misconnection?
A misconnection is when a household appliance or waste pipe has been incorrectly connected into a drain intended to receive clean rainwater. It has been estimated by Defra that between 0.6% and 2.0% of households in the UK (around 150,000 to 500,000 households) may have some sort of misconnection.
Why is this so important?
Although in general it’s unintentional, having hundreds of thousands of toilets, sinks, washing machines or dishwashers incorrectly connected into drains puts significant stress on our sewage systems which are already operating at capacity. The most commonly misconnected appliances are washing machines (35%), sinks (20%) and dishwashers (10%), but in 5% of instances it involves a toilet.
From a misconnected kitchen sink, you're pouring food waste, fats/oils/greases as well as bleaches, detergents and washing liquids straight into the environment. That kind of pollution only gets worse depending on what chemicals are used, too, so our wildlife and natural habitats are all at risk.
taking action
what can you do to help?
Check that your waste pipes from toilets, kitchens and bathrooms connect to the right drain.
Make sure you dispose of fluid from cleaning buckets correctly and make the switch to environmentally friendly products where possible.
Sweep up litter and debris from pavements, driveways and car parks - especially around surface water drains.
Dispose of rubbish responsibly, as any litter dropped down drains can end up in the river.
Pick up after your pet as their poo is high in bacteria and can affect bathing water when it washes down drains.
For more information visit DwrCymruAdvice
help spread the word
Download Campaign Materials
need to report?
If you suspect you have a misconnected property or have noticed a pollution incident taking place, please contact us Dwr Cymru on (0800 0853968) or pollutionrisk@dwrcymru.com