Sara Venning says NI Water will significantly invest in NW

Ms. Venning made the commitment in response to a claim by Foyle MLA Martina Anderson that not enough investment was earmarked for Derry.

At a briefing of the Stormont Infrastructure Committee Ms. Anderson expressed concern after being shown a map of priority works for the 2021-27 price control period across the North.

Ronan Larkin, director of finance and regulation at NI Water, showed the committee a slide of areas in green where there were significant waste water capacity issues that required urgent works.

Derry was not among them.

Ms. Anderson said: “I then look at the PC21 investment on that slide and see that Derry has nothing green, Strabane has nothing green, and Omagh has nothing green. I look at Limavady, Coleraine, Ballymena, Antrim, Portadown and Newry - you can see for yourself.”

She asked: “What decisions were taken that have led to Derry, Strabane and Omagh, for instance, not having been identified at all for this phase of PC21 investment?”

Ms. Venning replied: “I can give you some comfort that there will be investment.

“There is investment in every council area. If we break it down to council areas, Derry and Strabane council area will absolutely have significant investment during the PC21 plan.

“The fact that a red dot has not turned to green on the map would suggest that, in relation to waste water treatment works and networks, that prioritisation of where the money needs to go first is not done by NI Water in isolation.

“The Environment Agency has a big part to play here.

“It sets out a prioritisation matrix, so, in other words, it says that if a works is already at capacity and at risk of polluting the environment, it goes to the top of the list, and the agency works its way down the list.”