NI Water admits to breaking the law by discharging waste water

Northern Ireland Water has admitted in an interview with UTV that it is breaking the law when it comes to the amount of wastewater being pumped into our rivers, lakes and seas.

“Discharges are in excess of what the legislation permit,’ Paddy Brow from NI Water told UTV.

“It is of great concern to the scientists and engineers within NI Water that we are having to discharge to the environments things that don’t always comply with all of the legislation,’ Paddy, who runs the Living with Water Programme, told UTV.

WATCH: Stewart Robson speaking to Paddy Brow.

UTV has been given exclusive access by NI Water to its waste water treatment system, much of which dates back to the 19th century.

It says it has a funding deficit of around £200 million, meaning more waste water is being discharged than is legally allowed.

“We need investment to be able comply with the legislation and we want to comply with the legislation,” Paddy said.

“If that investment does not come we have no other choice but to do the best with assets that we have.”

NI Water has 2,444 storm overflows which allow pollution to flow out of them, in order to prevent the overloading of sewers.

Northern Ireland has proportionally more storm overflows for its population compared to other parts of the UK.

As of May 2024, around 39% of these overflows have been officially classified as ‘unsatisfactory.’

153 of NI Water’s storm overflows spill within 2km of Northern Ireland’s designated bathing waters.

That concerns open sea swimmers such as Marie-Therese Davis-Hanson - she regularly takes a dip in Belfast Lough near Bangor and swims just metres from a pipe used to eject treated water into the sea.

“We have seen sanitary towels, tissues, toilet roll - sometimes you would get cotton buds. It doesn’t look particularly hygienic - very murky and gloopy,” said Marie-Therese.

“You certainly think about whether you would go for a swim after a day of heavy rain because you know there would be discharge from the overflow.”

“If the water doesn’t look good and doesn’t smell good I wouldn’t go in,” she said.

NI Water says that more funding is essential for concerns of people like Marie-Therese to be addressed and is calling on the Executive to help with this.

The Department of Infrastructure is in charge of funding NI Water and monitoring its performance - its Minister John O’Dowd was not available for interview.

However, in a statement, the department told UTV it has “been operating in a challenging budgetary position for some time, due to over a decade of cuts and austerity by the Government. 

It said the Minister is continuing “to work with his Executive colleagues to try and increase wastewater investment.”

“The Minister will continue to raise the need for NI Water to have secure and sustainable funding, with the NI Executive and the British Government, to help deliver the best possible service for customers,” the spokesperson for the Department said.

The DAERA minister who has responsibility for the environment was also not available for interview.

However in a statement, he said the current water in the likes of Belfast Lough and Lough Neagh is “entirely unacceptable.”

He also said appropriate funding is needed and that he is working with Executive colleagues on this.

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