NI Water convicted of Foyle pollution incident

NI Water has been convicted of causing harmful waste to enter the River Foyle after a ‘poisonous, noxious and polluting’ discharge leaked from a sewer in Lisahally.

The company was fined £3,500 and ordered to pay a total of £331 costs following an incident in March of last year in which ‘deleterious matter’ entered the river during a three and a half hour period.

Derry Magistrate’s Court heard that the leakage, which is believed to have originated at a local factory, also contained blood.

A solicitor acting for the Loughs Agency said the level of ‘discharge’ was so high that the blockage had to be cleared from the Strathfoyle Pumping Station.

A spokesperson for NI Water said: “This pollution incident was caused by a blockage in the sewer combined with an increased discharge coming from a local factory. NI Water staff were on the scene and had cleared the blockage within three hours of being notified of the incident.”