NI Water 'Safe To Drink And Use As Normal'

Water supplied from all NI Water's Water Treatment Works, including water abstracted from Lough Neagh, is safe to drink and use as normal.

The utility provider has responded to calls from the DUP to clarify the safety of NI's drinking water.

On Thursday, 14 September, North Antrim MP Ian Paisley, contact the Chief Executive of NI Water to raise concerns from local businesses and residents, amid ongoing blue green algae outbreaks at Lough Neagh.

Lough Neagh supply some 40% of NI's drinking water.

In a statement published on their website, NI Water said: "On a daily basis, we monitor our raw water intakes from all sources, at our treatment works and at customer taps to ensure that drinking water supplied meets strict quality standards.

"NI Water has a robust testing and sampling system which sees over 120,000 samples lifted and analysed each year. Sampling and analysis are carried out 365 days per year. Samples are taken from customer homes, reservoirs and treatment plants.

"Drinking water supplied from the water treatment works which use Lough Neagh as their raw water sources, are designed with the potential for algae to be present and robust treatment processes are in place to manage this effectively.

"We increase the frequency of algae monitoring over the summer months when the risk for algae in the raw water would generally be higher.

"Increased levels of algae can cause an unusual taste and smell to water from your tap but does not pose a risk to health. The taste and smell can be earthy and/or musty. Therefore, while the water from your tap can be used in the normal way, we fully appreciate some customers might notice a difference in the taste and/or odour to their drinking water at this time."

More information on drinking water safety can be found here.