NI Water has pleaded guilty to causing a pollution incident from Sandholes Sewage Pumping Station (SPS) on 31st March 2009. The incident is linked to complications at the pumping station causing it to temporarily shut down and cause a discharge into Killymoon River.
A spokesperson for NI Water explained,
"NI Water have taken steps to ensure a similar incident does not happen again at this site. On detecting these faults, NI Water responded quickly and completed repairs the same day. A review of the alarm also took place and changes have been made to ensure NI Water is alerted before an un-consented discharge to the watercourse takes place."
NI Water was fined £500 plus £34 costs. Throughout the process, NI Water co-operated fully with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.
The spokesperson continued,
"NI Water takes any issue of pollution extremely seriously and is working to reduce these occurrences. In addition, we showed due diligence and promptness in dealing with the incident.
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 full International ISO 14001 status, an international standardisation awarded based on the company’s environmental management system.
Over the course of the period 2007/08 to 2009/10 NI Water invested approximately £490 million on improvements to its sewerage network system and wastewater treatment works. NI Water will continue with a programme of investment to its sewerage network system and wastewater treatment works over the new investment period 2010 – 2013. We are confident, when this investment programme is complete, such incidents will become less common."
A spokesperson for NI Water explained,
"NI Water have taken steps to ensure a similar incident does not happen again at this site. On detecting these faults, NI Water responded quickly and completed repairs the same day. A review of the alarm also took place and changes have been made to ensure NI Water is alerted before an un-consented discharge to the watercourse takes place."
NI Water was fined £500 plus £34 costs. Throughout the process, NI Water co-operated fully with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.
The spokesperson continued,
"NI Water takes any issue of pollution extremely seriously and is working to reduce these occurrences. In addition, we showed due diligence and promptness in dealing with the incident.
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 full International ISO 14001 status, an international standardisation awarded based on the company’s environmental management system.
Over the course of the period 2007/08 to 2009/10 NI Water invested approximately £490 million on improvements to its sewerage network system and wastewater treatment works. NI Water will continue with a programme of investment to its sewerage network system and wastewater treatment works over the new investment period 2010 – 2013. We are confident, when this investment programme is complete, such incidents will become less common."
