Healthy Oceans, Healthy Minds visitors explore NI Water Heritage Centre

21 August 2024 16:46

NI Water today welcomed visitors to its Heritage Wastewater Centre in Belfast to learn more about how wastewater is cleaned before returning it safely to the environment, as well as discovering the journey water takes from source to tap in an ever changing and challenging environment.

The event was the second in a series of events NI Water has arranged in partnership Live Here Love Here and the Healthy Oceans Healthy Minds programme this month. Healthy Oceans Healthy Minds is an annual celebration, which showcases Northern Ireland's captivating blue spaces and highlights the mental health benefits of engaging with coastal and inland waterways.

At the Centre, visitors had the opportunity to explore the original Victorian Sewage Treatment Works for Belfast then discovered the modern Wastewater Treatment process with a tour of the Belfast wastewater treatment works. Visitors also heard about the importance of only flushing the three Ps - Pee, Poo and Paper - and also bagging and binning any fat, oil and grease to prevent pipe blockages.

NI Water Education Officer Anna Killen said: “Thanks to all who attended our two events. We were delighted so many visitors enjoyed the demonstrations and tours, learning more about how NI Water safely cleans, tests and checks 605 million litres of drinking water a day, and also about the processes involved in wastewater treatment. It is an expensive process to clean and transport the water we all use daily and the water treatment also uses huge volumes of electricity and energy. The tours around Belfast Wastewater Treatment Works were also a great opportunity to highlight the importance of the wastewater treatment process in protecting our environment.”

Community groups, businesses and schools can find out more about the free of charge educational visitor experiences NI Water offers via www.niwater.com/education-centres/

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Media enquiries to the NI Water Press Office via email to press.office@niwater.com