Northern Ireland Water Ltd fined £2,500 for polluting discharge to a waterway

Northern Ireland Water Ltd (NIW) was fined £2,500 plus court costs at Omagh Magistrates’ Court today for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

On 1 October 2007, a Water Quality Inspector, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), (formerly the Environment and Heritage Service), observed that an unnamed tributary of the Drumragh River was visibly polluted with sewage fungus for approximately 300 metres.

The source of the polluting discharge was traced to the NIW Terminal Sewage Pumping Station on the Ballnahatty Road, Omagh. NIEA’s subsequent investigation found that NIW had contravened the conditions of their Consent by removing an emergency stand-by pump for over two weeks; during which time, and as a direct result of which, raw sewage was released into the watercourse.

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 watercourse.

Notes to Editors:

• NIW was charged under Article 7 (2) of the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 with the offence of making a polluting discharge contrary to consent conditions to a tributary of the Drumragh River.
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