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Wastewater monitoring welcome but overdue - Swann

Following on going engagement with the Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir MLA on the impact of sewage effluent on Lough Neagh, South Antrim MP Robin Swann said:


"During the summer we again saw the upsetting scenes of green shores which bring into focus the harsh reality of the ecological crisis at Lough Neagh. It's well established that there is a significant range of issues causing the blue-green algae blooms, including sewage effluent discharge into the Lough.


"I recently asked the Environment Minister for the data held by DAERA relating to the level of sewage effluent entering Lough Neagh in recent years. It was a shock to learn that this data is not recorded by the Department, and I followed up to ask the Minister what he is doing to rectify this to ensure levels of effluent can be monitored and managed.


"Following DAERA's acknowledgement that this information was not being collected, I am very pleased that the Minister has confirmed to me that the NI Environment Agency has initiated a Wastewater Reform Programme which is due to start in October and last 18 months. The Minister has told me that this is an 'ambitious programme that seeks to review discharge consents, improve the regulatory compliance performance, and drive water quality improvements.'


"Although overdue, this is a positive step to address the Lough Neagh crisis, and I'm delighted the Minister has acknowledged the importance of collecting this data and is acting to rectify this lack of information, but much more still needs to be done to ensure we don't see a repeat for a fourth year in a row."


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