NI Water Fined Over Water Pollution - Again

The official Government body that has responsibility for water supplies, Northern Ireland Water Ltd (NIW), has been fined £2,000 plus court costs of £49 at Antrim Magistrates' Court this week for making a polluting discharge to a waterway and breach of consent.

In May 2010 an official from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency observed untreated sewage impacting on the Six Mile Water at Antrim for approximately 500 metres, (the scenic river is pictured here by Brian McCalden).

The source of the polluting discharge was traced to Massereene Sewage Pumping Station (SPS), Antrim, which is owned and operated by NIW.

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

It is not known if there's a link to an incident investigated a few weeks later by the Six Mile Water Trust, Antrim & District Angling Association.

It led to problems at a river tributary in Dunadry, followed the discovery of what appears to be sewage fungus coming down the river.

"The material which is light coloured and resembles what one member described as rotting flesh was first discovered last Tuesday but the source was not discovered until Friday due to problems with access because of the work on the motorway bridge at Templepatrick," a spokesman said.

"Our own investigations have found an absence of the material above Ballyclare Sewage facility but a heavy accumulation immediately below," noted the anglers' representative, Michael Martin.

There have also been several such incidents involving NIW, with one at Laurelvale Sewage Pumping Station, near Crumlin, back in October 2008 seeing the firm fined £15,000 for polluting a tributary with poisonous and noxious substances.

A water quality inspector who checked the waterway at Cidercourt Road, Crumlin, Co Antrim, in October 2008 found it was heavily discoloured.

The source was traced to Laurelvale sewage pumping station (SPS), Crumlin, which was discharging to an unnamed tributary of the Crumlin River, Antrim Magistrates' Court was told.

Northern Ireland Water (NIW) said the pumping station was scheduled for inspection every four weeks, but the high sump analogue alarm which is triggered when levels rise to the point of overflow did not appear to have been set before the incident.

See: Pollution Threat Hits Six Mile Water Anglers

See: NI Water Appeals Pollution Fine

(BMcC)