NI Water '˜flushed with success'

Jane Mellor, NI Waters Head of Procurement, from Portrush; Victor Kennedy (Ballymoney); Sara Venning, NI Water CEO; Philip Richmond, QUB student from Ballymoney; Beryl and Peter Quigley (Belfast); Thomas Black, QUB stuent from Coleraine; and William Callaghan (Coleraine).

Held as part of the company’s Decade of Delivery events, visitors saw first-hand how Northern Ireland Water treats 330 million litres of wastewater every single day.

Northern Ireland Water CEO Sara Venning reflected on the company’s progress: “April 2017 marks a decade of delivery for NI Water, and to acknowledge the role the company plays in Northern Ireland, the local community was invited to come and take a peek inside the water treatment works.”

Davy McCullough, Head of Wastewater at NI Water, commented on the activities of the day: “Representatives from the community were all given a tour of the works where they learned the history of the site and what it takes to operate it on a daily basis.

John McHenry, Coleraine PROBUS Club; John Bell, NI Waters Wastewater Area Manager; Angela Knott, NI Water Process Scientist from Aghadowey; and John Ludlow, Coleraine PROBUS Club.

“With numerous Wastewater Treatment Works across NI, it is not just as simple as flushing the toilet and it disappears, there is a very important and often complicated process in between to clean the water so it is of the highest quality going back out into the environment.

“In May 2007 NI Water put into operation the hugely complex North Coast Wastewater Treatment scheme, representing an investment of £45 million to overhaul the existing systems and improve the quality of bathing waters around the beautiful North Coast region, one of our premier tourist resorts.

“The requirements of the sewerage system are varied and fluctuate seasonally due to the area’s main industry of tourism and can handle up to 107,000 people.”

Sara continued: “The services NI Water provides are at the very core of the economy, health and environment of Northern Ireland.

John Bell, NI Waters Wastewater Area Manager; David Kennedy (Portrush); Pete Mellor from Portrush; Sara Venning, NI Water CEO; Dermott McCurdy, NI Water Wastewater Procurement; and Angela Knott, NI Water Process Scientist from Aghadowey.

“We are proud to share this with the community and show them how they also have a role to play in the work we do, by conserving water and respecting the environment.

“I would also like to thank the NI Water staff for their enthusiasm and commitment to the work that they do.

“Our people are talented, dedicated, and at the heart of the communities they serve.

“After ten years operating as NI Water, it is a good time to reflect on the role the company plays in the community.

John Bell, NI Waters Wastewater Area Manager, guides visitors around the North Coast Wastewater Treatment Works

“As a company we are guardians of the networks and assets, but each and every one of us uses the service.

“Only together, as a company and a community, can we continue to safeguard the environment and protect our most valuable and precious asset – water,” she concluded.