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

Northern Ireland Water Ltd (NIW) was fined £5,000 plus £22 court costs at Lisburn Magistrates’ Court today for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

On 23 October 2007, a Water Quality Inspector, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (formerly the Environment and Heritage Service) observed a significant discharge of untreated sewage to the Glenavy River, a tributary of Lough Neagh following complaints from a member of the public. The source of the polluting discharge was traced to the

NIW Terminal Sewage Pumping Station on the Pigeontown Road, Glenavy. NIEA have stated that NIW failed to respond effectively and stop the pollution despite warnings from electronic alarms fitted to the Station and complaints from a member of the public on the 19 October.

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

1. NIW 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, namely the Glenavy River, a tributary of Lough Neagh.
2. NIW has been successfully prosecuted for five water pollution incidents by the courts since 1 April 2007.
3. 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.