Northern Ireland Water Ltd has been fined £1,000 after being found guilty of a pollution related offence in Co Down.
The utility company was convicted at Downpatrick Magistrates’ Court and also ordered to pay a £15 Offenders Levy after raw sewage was discharged into the Ballybannon River at Annsborough.
The court was told that on July 22, 2021, NI Environment Agency (NIEA) Water Quality Inspectors confirmed that a “visibly grey and malodorous effluent” was entering the waterway through an overflow pipe serving Mill Hill Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO).
The discharge, found to be consistent with untreated sewage, was observed during a period of prolonged dry weather.
Upstream water was found to be running visibly clear by inspectors who collected statutory samples of the polluting discharge.
The initial cause of the discharge was attributed to a blockage caused by the inappropriate use of the sewerage system by a third party or parties.
NIEA contended that Northern Ireland Water Ltd failed to deal with the discharge appropriately and allowed it to continue unnecessarily for a further period of time.
The judge found that NI Water Ltd was guilty of an Article 7.1(a) offence as a result and issued the monetary fine.
The Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) has urged anyone wishing to report a pollution incident to call the 24-hour Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60.
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News Catch Up – Wednesday 18 December