Northern Ireland Water Ltd fined £5,000 for polluting discharge to a waterway

Northern Ireland Water Ltd (NIW) was fined £5,000 plus £82 court costs and £132.74 analysis costs at Newry Magistrates’ Court today for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

On 24 April 2007, Water Quality Inspectors, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (formerly the Environment and Heritage Service) observed a discharge of untreated sewage and sewage related debris entering a waterway. The source of the polluting discharge was traced to the Sewage Pumping Station on the Carron Road, Crossmaglen.

A sample taken at the time of the incident confirmed that the discharge contained poisonous, noxious and polluting matter which would have been potentially harmful to fish life in the receiving waterway.

Notes To Editors:

1. NIW was charged under Article 7 (b) of the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 as amended by the Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 with contravening the terms of a discharge consent issued by the Department of the Environment

.2. For media enquiries please contact DOE Press Office 028 9054 0014 or out of office hours, contact the EIS Duty Press Officer on pager 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.