Biodiversity

The nature of the service we provide means we have a significant impact on the environment, from the abstraction of raw water, to the discharge of final effluent from wastewater treatment works. We are fully committed to maintaining and where possible enhancing the biodiversity of our lands.

What is biodiversity?

Biodiversity refers to the variety of all living things on our planet and the ecosystems they form. It includes the differences between plants, animals and other living species in a particular habitat in which they live.

What does it mean to us at Northern Ireland Water?

Our everyday activities contribute and rely on the environment. It is our policy and practice to protect the environment by working in an environmentally responsible manner, with high standards of environmental care and operational performance. We are currently developing a biodiversity plan with the help from a biodiversity officer in order to help sustain and promote biodiversity on our operational sites.

Our sites include:

• 709 sites within areas identified as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs)
• 89 sites within Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs)
• 4 marine nature sites
• 6 national natural reserves
• 51 Ramsar (the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands) sites
• 47 sites have been identified as special areas for conservation
• 23 special protection areas

Some of our landholdings fall within more than one of the EHS designated areas e.g.: the Silent Valley is within an AONB, an ASSI and a SAC.

We own 30 upland reservoirs, which are mostly in areas of outstanding natural beauty. Public access is permitted to 26 of these landholdings and we have a newly opened Visitor Centre at Silent Valley, which attracts approximately 46,800 visitors annually.

Biodiversity within Northern Ireland Water

Our commitment to the protection of the natural environment under legislation such as the Habitats Regulations and Wildlife (NI) Order 1985 amended 1995 and to this we operate an Environmental Management System which is externally certified to ISO 14001 and covers all of our activities.

We are seeking to develop new initiatives and build on past ones in respect of sustainability and biodiversity. These tend to be schemes that are conducted jointly with local environmental groups such as RSPB, Ulster Wildlife Trust, Woodland Trust and the Wetlands Trust. Some of our schemes have included:

• Facilitating Primary Schools in Key Stage 1 & 2 Education Programmes entitled ‘The world around us’ which incorporates sustainability and biodiversity.
• Working with local school children at Fofanny WTW to plant native heather.
• Helping to build a mini wetland at An Droichead Primary School in Belfast in January 2006.
• Opened a nature trail at Silent Valley Reservoir encouraging visitors and tourists to discover more about the native flora and fauna.
• Working sustainably on our projects and being awarded with CEEQUAL Awards which is an award in recognition of our organisations efforts to provide a service whilst minimising our impacts on the environment through our actions. Such projects include Carran Hill, Kircubbin and Fofanny.
• Bog Meadows Project
• New visitor centre
• Working with schools

Biodiversity is of key importance to all of our capital works projects and all the major ones have an Environmental Impact Assessment carried out prior to the planning approvals process. This seeks to identify any environmental impacts which may emanate from the construction projects, and put plans in place to minimise these impacts.

Northern Ireland Water has met with stakeholders to develop partnerships with local NGO’s and other Government Departments and assist us in the development of a detailed Biodiversity Plan.