NIW finally move on Ballyhornan sewage

NIW finally move on Ballyhornan sewage

27 June 2012 - by BY DAVID TELFORD

NORTHERN Ireland Water has taken the first step towards stopping untreated sewage pouring into the Irish Sea at Ballyhornan.

It has secured planning permission to treat the sewage via a screening unit before it enters the sea via an outfall pipe in the village.

In the longer term, NI Water plans to intercept the sewage before it reaches the outfall pipe and pump it to a treatment plant in nearby Ardglass.

Last month, the Environment Agency responded to increasing community and political concern about what has been described as an “environmental time bomb” in Ballyhornan where thousands of gallons of sewage pour into the sea on a daily basis.

The Agency warned NI Water about its failure to comply with requirements for treating raw sewage in Ballyhornan and gave the organisation until the end of March next year to put things right.

Homes at the former Ministry of Defence base at Bishopscourt are connected to a sewage pipe which pumps waste water directly into the sea off the local coastline in contravention of strict discharge standards.

One of the major stumbling blocks in addressing the issue over the years has been NI Water’s reluctance to adopt sewers at the former MoD base. But the Environment Agency is demanding action and wants the practice of pumping untreated sewage into the sea stopped.

Ardglass councillor Dermot Curran has given a guarded welcome to news that sewage is to be “screened” before being discharged into the sea, but said local people won’t be happy until the outfall pipe becomes redundant.

He explained for this to happen there needs to be major investment to ensure homes at the former MoD are connected to a mains sewerage system.

“Securing planning permission for the NI Water scheme is an important step forward, but there is so much more which needs to be done,” he declared. “The Environment Agency’s decision to give NI Water until the end of next March to put things right in Ballyhornan is a very welcome and the timetable set out must be adhered to.”

Councillor Curran said residents in Ballyhornan are ratepayers and deserve to have a sewerage system which other people across the district have access to.

He added: “NI Water has been issued with an enforcement order and it must fully comply with it. Local people demand and are fully entitled to expect a long-term solution to an issue which should have been dealt with long before now.

“Allowing raw sewage to pour into the Irish Sea on a daily basis in this day and age is nothing short of criminal.”