Dundrum Bay Pollution Incident

01 December 2014 16:50

NI Water has pleaded guilty to causing a pollution incident from its combined sewer overflow (CSO) at Inner Dundrum Bay on 4 November 2013.  

Discharges from CSOs happen when the sewers are hydraulically overloaded and cannot cope with the volume of flow.  A CSO discharge avoids potentially more serious flooding from the network which may affect domestic properties or pose a danger to health.  Discharges from CSOs occur during times of heavy rainfall or when there is a problem with a blockage or a restriction of the sewer downstream.

Angela Halpenny, Head of Environmental Regulation for NI Water, explained,

“This pollution incident was caused by an airlock in the sewerage system.  This was attended to and repaired within an hour of NI Water staff attending the site.

“NI Water views the protection of the environment as a major priority and invests significant resources and measures to safeguard it. NI Water is the only public body in Northern Ireland to have earned International ISO 14001 status, an international standardisation award based on a company’s environmental management system.

“NI Water has invested nearly £500 million over the last three years to bring the sewerage network system and wastewater treatment works up to an acceptable standard.  

“By the year 2020, NI Water will have invested £3 billion into local water and wastewater infrastructure.”