Pollution offence in Waringstown
NI Water have pleaded guilty to a pollution offence at Milltown Road Waste Water Pumping Station in Waringstown.
They were fined £1,200 at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court.
On January 2, a Water Quality Inspector, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, inspected the Waringstown Stream upstream of its confluence with the River Lagan at Milltown Road. A discharge was observed from Milltown Road Pumping Station. The stream was visibly discoloured with fungal growth on the bed of the River Lagan. Untreated sewage was found to be discharging from the station to the affected waterway.
NIW admitted under caution that the discharge occurred due to the failure of two pumps to start. The malfunction failed to create any telemetry alarm to alert management of the failure.