Pollution Incident Ramada SPS

03 August 2011 9:31

Northern Ireland Water (NI Water) has pleaded guilty to causing a pollution incident from Ramada Sewage Pumping Station (SPS), on 13th August 2010. The incident was linked to a blockage caused by inappropriate items that resulted in a discharge into a nearby watercourse.

A spokesperson for NI Water explained, "NI Water acted quickly to stop the discharge and to clean up the site. We were made aware of the incident at 11.10 and by 11.30 staff were on site. Further investigations found that the blockage had been caused by a large amount of inappropriate items, which the sewerage system is not designed to cope with.

"This blockage and subsequent sewage spill could have been prevented. NI Water would like to ask for the publics’ assistance in reducing these occurrences by not placing inappropriate items in the toilet, down a drain or into the sewers.

"Inappropriate items include cotton buds, nappies, sanitary items, household wipes and condoms which regularly make their way through the sewerage system and cause serious blockages, leading to the operation of emergency overflows. This can cause harm to property, wildlife and the environment.

"Whilst NI Water has a responsibility for the sewerage system, everyone in Northern Ireland can help reduce these incidents. The advice is simple, only toilet roll and human waste should be flushed down the toilet, for everything else - bag it and bin it, don’t flush it."

NI Water was fined £1,000. Throughout the process, NI Water cooperated fully with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.

NI Water views the protection of the environment as a major priority and invests significant resources and measures to safeguard it. NI Water’s environmental record is improving each year, and due to major capital investment, we have achieved the best ever wastewater compliance in 2010.