Northern Ireland Water fined after damaging water quality

Northern Ireland Water (NIW) has been fined £500 after admitting to causing a pollution incident in the Saintfield River.

The sewerage company pleaded guilty to the charges at Downpatrick Magistrate's Court relating to the incident, which occurred in February 2008 when a blocked sewer overflowed.

The organisation has claimed that the blockage was caused by its customers flushing inappropriate items down their toilets.

A spokesperson for NIW asked residents to be more careful in terms of what they put in their toilets.

"Many people genuinely don't realise the potential damage they are doing, not only to their own internal pipes, but also to the sewerage system by flushing baby wipes, sanitary items and cotton buds," she said.

According to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, approximately 13 per cent of the country's drinking water is taken from rivers and the waterways are important resources for agriculture, fisheries and recreation.

Posted by Joseph Hutton