Mary Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow?

12 October 2010 13:37

You'd expect to find tomatoes in your local supermarket and growing in greenhouses, but you'd probably be more surprised to hear that they are growing in sewage works!

NI Water has seen a surge in tomato plants popping up in Enniskillen Wastewater Treatment Works and believe it or not, these plants thrive there.

NI Water’s Michael McAlary, Functional Manager of the Works explains: “Every summer, we see tomato plants growing among the rags and papers which are removed during the first stage of the treatment process at the waste water treatment works. As tomato seeds are not digested by the human body, they find their way through the sewage system, to the treatment works and when removed, sit in the skips amongst other dried sewage which acts as a fertiliser and enables them to grow into tomato plants.

“Some people may find this information difficult to understand but they needn't be concerned about NI Water supplying the supermarkets with seeds or plants any time soon as the plants either die of natural causes due to the cooler temperatures in our climate or are destroyed when the skips are removed from our sites.”

Tomato plants are not the only strange things NI Water finds in treatment works and down sewers. Items such as school bells, carpets, Christmas trees and even kittens have all been found. NI Water is encouraging the public to adopt better flushing habits and it’s simple - anything other than toilet roll should go in the bin.

For more information on NI Water’s Bag It and Bin It campaign visit www.niwater.com or if you would like to view first hand the damage caused to our sewers by the dumping of inappropriate items visit our Youtube site www.youtube.com/northernirelandwater