Glenavy Road Sewage Pumping Station Pollution Incident

31 October 2011 16:27

NI Water has pleaded guilty to causing a pollution incident from Glenavy Road Sewage Pumping Station (SPS), on 25 June 2009. The incident was linked to a blockage which caused a pump to fail.

A spokesperson for NI Water explained,

“NI Water was alerted to a problem at the site and acted quickly to attend the station and repair the faulty pump. Further investigation found that the pump was still running but had stopped pumping. This meant the alarm was not triggered. The investigations also discovered a blockage caused the pump to fail.

“NI Water would like to ask for the publics’ assistance in reducing blockages 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. This can cause harm to property, wildlife and the environment.

“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 has invested approximately £490 million over the last three years to bring the sewerage network system and wastewater treatment works up to an acceptable standard. With continued investment, incidents like this will become less common.”


NI Water was fined £750. Throughout the process, NI Water cooperated fully with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.