Our biggest drinking water treatment plant discharges wastewater into the Liffey at a point in Kildare where locals say flow is not strong enough to dilute the nutrient-dense material.

Fish kills, algae blooms and risks to human health of those living downstream of the Ballymore Eustace plant are key concerns outlined by local anglers and others to authorities.

Our investigation will uncover why State bodies have failed to act on troubling reports by locals - and instead recently granted permission for the plant to expand.

WHAT YOUR FUNDING SUPPORTS

Water treatment plants produce waste during the purification of the water that can contain chemicals, heavy metals and detergents when discharged.

A local angling club has collated data and other evidence over the past decade to support its concerns, as well as extensive exchanges with local and national authorities. We will scrutinise this tranche of records and examine the response of authorities.

Our investigation team will send Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to find out how the authorities treated the issues raised behind closed doors.

We will also carry out field research to examine the River Liffey and local environment.

Want to see this investigation happen? Click the 'Fund This Proposal' button.

You can contact us at [email protected] and find out how we work here. Our investigations are sourced from and crowdfunded by the public.