Waterford CCTV crackdown sees shocking number of fines issued for dumping and littering

Waterford City and County Council has issued 86 litter fines in just six weeks after rolling out new CCTV enforcement cameras across the city.

The cameras, installed at 10 locations in the Metropolitan district in November, are being used to target illegal dumping and littering, with fines starting to land on doorsteps from January following a review of footage.

Council officials say a significant number of offences are happening at bring banks, with people leaving bags, boxes and other items on the ground when bins are full.

Senior Executive Officer Dawn Wallace said the practice is having a direct impact on recycling and the wider community.

“A significant number of these incidents are happening at our bring banks. People need to understand that it is not acceptable to leave items on the ground beside bring banks,” she said.

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“Once material is left on the ground it cannot be recycled and ends up going to landfill.”

She added that some people have been caught multiple times dumping at the same sites.

“Most surprising was that some people have been fined on multiple occasions for dumping at the same bring banks, coming back again and again, and leaving items on the ground. That is not acceptable,” Ms Wallace said.

The council warned that continued dumping risks bring bank facilities being removed altogether.

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“The Council relies on the goodwill of communities and businesses hosting our bring banks. Continued dumping at these sites can make people reluctant to host them, which will affect the entire community and our recycling goals,” Ms Wallace added.

The local authority confirmed the CCTV units will be rotated to other locations across Waterford in the coming weeks as part of a wider effort to detect and deter littering and illegal dumping.

Residents are being urged to use alternative bring bank sites or return at another time if bins are full, rather than leaving items behind and risking a fine.