NI Water Acquitted in Pollution Prosecution

09 August 2011 15:32

NI Water has been acquitted from causing a pollution incident from a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) at Ballynakilly Road in March 2010. The incident was linked to a blockage caused by inappropriate items that resulted in a discharge into a nearby waterway.

A spokesperson for NI Water explained:

"NI Water responded to reports of a spill and attended the site to remove the blockage and carry up a clean up of the area. Further investigation found that the blockage had been caused by the dumping of inappropriate items, which the sewerage system is not designed to cope with.

"Inappropriate items included gravel, fats oil and grease, sanitary items and wipes which regularly get dumped into the sewerage system and cause serious blockages, leading to the operation of CSO’s.

"NI Water would like to ask for the publics’ assistance in reducing these occurrences by not placing inappropriate items down a drain or into the sewers; they are not bins for unwanted rubbish.

Throughout the process, NI Water cooperated fully with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.