Northern Ireland water fined for polluting discharge to a waterway

Northern Ireland Water (NI Water) was fined £1,500 plus £25 court costs at Dungannon Magistrates’ Court to-day for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

On 7 May 2008, a Water Quality Inspector, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (formerly the Environment and Heritage Service) inspected the Torrent River adjacent to Ballynakilly and observed a discharge that appeared to be untreated sewage.

The source was traced to a Combined Sewage Overflow which was discharging to an unnamed tributary of the Torrent River.

This was reported to NI Water on 7 May 2008. No one from NI Water attended the incident on 7 May 2008. At 9.00am on 8 May 2008 the inspector received a call from an officer from NI Water advising that he had been made aware of the incident.

He later advised that the incident had been caused by a blocked sewer. NI Water contractors arrived on site on 8 May 2008 and cleared the blockage and removed sewage related debris on the same day.

A sample taken on 7 May 2008 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. NI Water was charged under Article 7 (1) (a) of the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 with the offence of making a polluting discharge to a waterway.
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.