NI Water Fined £40,000 For Pollution Offence

NI Water has been fined £40,000 after pleading guilty to a pollution offence in Co L'Derry.

Water Quality Inspectors (WQIs), acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), inspected the Moyola River at the location where the Maghera Wastewater Treatment (WwTW) discharges to the Moyola River in February last year.

A grey/brown coloured liquid was actively discharging from the consented discharge point, which created a visible plume across a 15-metre width of the Moyola River.

The discharge, which was confirmed to be partially treated wastewater, had a strong sewage-like odour.

NIEA contacted NI water to advise of the presence of screened but untreated wastewater and asked for remediation to be carried out at the earliest opportunity.

In accordance with NIEA enforcement policy and procedure, a statutory sample of the untreated wastewater was collected. The inspector estimated the rate of the discharge as approximately four litres per second.

The waterway was observed to be impacted for a distance of 400 metres.

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.

(CD/LM)