Magherafelt farmer fined over making polluting discharge into waterway

A Magherafelt farmer pleaded guilty and was fined £400, plus an offenders levy of £15 at Magherafelt Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Oct 2015, 14:32 BST
Magherafelt Courthouse.Magherafelt Courthouse.
Magherafelt Courthouse.

Mr John Purvis, Salterstown Road, Magherafelt, Co Londonderry, was fined for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

On 19 February 2014, Water Quality Inspectors(WQIs), acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency ( NIEA) inspected a waterway at Salterstown Road, Magherafelt and observed the waterway to be green/brown in colour.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The polluting discharge was traced to farm premises owned by Mr Purvis. A fluorescein tracing dye test carried by the WQIs confirmed continuity between a drain on the farm and the waterway.

A sample taken at the time of the incident confirmed that the discharge contained poisonous, noxious or polluting matter which was potentially harmful to fish life in the receiving waterway.

Anyone wishing to report a pollution incident can call the 24 hour Water Pollution Hotline on 0800 807060