Environment Minister Joins Call For Water Conservation

The Environment Minister Edwin Poots has joined ongoing calls for people to help protect water supplies, urging people to be "smarter with the water they use while at home during this current dry spell, and to only use water for the areas it is needed; hygiene, hydration and household chores".

Supporting calls from NI Water and the Department for Infrastructure for urgent action from everyone to reduce their water usage immediately to preserve water supplies for everyone, Minister Poots said: "We must do everything we can to help NI Water conserve and protect our drinking water supply. It is vital for life, and it is critical that we have a sufficient supply of good quality water to protect public health and the environment. It is critical to our agri-food sector in ensuring the continued production of high quality food and to help our economy in recovering from the impacts of COVID-19.

"With the current period of hot weather and more people vacationing at home demand is outstripping supply in some areas. We need to ensure everyone has sufficient water for hygiene, hand washing and vital domestic needs."

Minister Poots continued:"The protection of our waterways from pollution is critical to improving the quality of our lakes and rivers, which is the source of our drinking water in Northern Ireland. With continuing dry weather, the levels in the lakes and rivers is low and any pollution will have an increased impact. This will add to the pressures that the high demand is already placing on the environment and on Water Treatment Works that produce our drinking water.

"I am committed to working together across the Departments to ensure NI Water has the support needed to provide a safe, clean drinking water supply to the people of Northern Ireland."