NI Water comes under spotlight: Wastewater monitoring welcome but long overdue, says Robin Swann

South Antrim MP Robin Swann has welcomed confirmation that a new programme to monitor sewage effluent levels entering Lough Neagh will begin next month, but warned that action is long overdue.

The Ulster Unionist representative has been pressing the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) on the ecological crisis at the lough, which has been blighted by recurring blue-green algae blooms in recent years.

Mr Swann highlighted the role of sewage discharges in the worsening environmental situation, and expressed concern that no official records of sewage effluent levels had been held by DAERA until now.

He 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.”

Concerns have been mounting over the scale of the problem, with reports suggesting that 200,000 tons of raw sewage are being discharged into the Lough Neagh catchment area.

Environmental campaigners and local communities have warned that such discharges are contributing significantly to the lough’s decline, compounding the effects of agricultural run-off and climate change.

Following his intervention, Mr Swann said he was encouraged that DAERA and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) are preparing to launch a new Wastewater Reform Programme.

“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.’”

Mr Swann added that while the announcement was welcome, it should have been in place years ago:

“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.”

The spotlight is increasingly falling on Northern Ireland Water’s role in sewage discharges. Last week in the Assembly, TUV MLA Timothy Gaston pressed Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir on what steps were being taken to address the utility’s contribution to pollution. In reply, the Minister admitted:

“We are pumping sewage into Lough Neagh, Belfast lough and our waterways, and something needs to be done about it… I will need support from Executive colleagues to have a regulation and enforcement regime on sewage pollution that makes it clear that there are no separate arrangements for anyone.”

For Mr Swann, the forthcoming Wastewater Reform Programme and legislative changes signalled by the DAERA Minister place NI Water firmly in the frame.

Campaigners and political representatives have long argued that while agriculture is often criticised for nutrient run-off, the impact of untreated wastewater on Lough Neagh and other waterways must also be addressed urgently.

Mr Swann concluded by urging all parties at Stormont to take responsibility and support meaningful reform:

“The scale of the challenge at Lough Neagh requires political will right across the Executive. Monitoring sewage discharges is an important first step, but only a united approach will deliver the long-term investment, regulation and enforcement needed to safeguard this vital resource for future generations.”

The reform programme, expected to run until spring 2027, is seen as a first step in tackling the legacy of underinvestment and lax monitoring, but Swann and others insist much more will be required to protect Northern Ireland’s largest freshwater lake.