Northern Ireland firm fined for poor water quality

A water company in Northern Ireland has been fined after poor water quality led to the death of 150 eels.

Northern Ireland Water was issued the £2,000 penalty after pollution entered a river in Co Down.

The water quality was affected by a sewage pumping station located in the area, Belfast Telegraph reported.

Bangor Magistrates Court heard that a water quality inspector from Northern Ireland Environment Agency had found the Ballyholme River contained unacceptable levels of sewage fungus.

This had led to discoloured water and sewage sludge on the river bed, a spokesman from the Department of the Environment said.

"Some 1,200m of waterway was  adversely affected," the spokesman added.

As a result of the assessment on 16th May 2011, more than 150 eels were identified as having died as a result of the pollution.

Northern Ireland Water said there had been a problem with an alarm at the sewage site that had allowed the contaminant breach.

Contractors responsible for the site were not alerted when the problem arose due to a technical failure, the firm added.

The company admitted responsibility for the leak, at Cherrymount sewage pumping station, Bangor, and was issued the £2,000 fine as punishment.

This is the latest in a series of fines Northern Ireland Water has received for failing to maintain proper water quality.

In February 2013, the firm was fined £2,500 plus costs after pollution escaped the Burren Sewage Pumping Station in Newcastle, Co Down. This also led to a number of fish dying.

Northern Ireland Water is a government-owned company that provides water and wastewater across the province.

It is responsible for delivering 625 million litres of clean water a day to 1.7 million people. Annually, it treats 134 million m³ of waste water.

Its network includes 26,5000 kilometres of watermains and 14,500 kilometres of sewers across Northern Ireland.