Max Bryant, NIEL CEO, has welcomed the announcement that the OEP has launched an investigation into sewage discharges into Belfast Lough. As Max highlighted, “We have indisputable evidence that waterways across NI are in crisis: none of our rivers, lakes or coastal water bodies are at good overall status under environmental monitoring, and 12% are actually at ‘poor’ or ‘bad’ status. Sadly, Belfast Lough is no exception and is failing to meet a range of critical legal standards for water quality due to elevated levels of nutrients, which can cause the harmful algal blooms we’ve witnessed at Lough Neagh, and the presence of a range of damaging chemical substances. Of major concern is the evidence that nutrient levels in the lough are actually increasing.”  These problems are due in part to wastewater infrastructure and combined sewer overflows, which dump around 17 million tonnes of untreated or partially treated wastewater directly into Belfast Lough annually. This has already had impacts on water quality and biodiversity. Without urgent action, the situation at Belfast Lough will continue to decline and we will see further wide-ranging impacts on our health, our environment and our economy.

The water crisis we are currently seeing across NI has unfolded over many years of failure to take water, and wider environmental protection, seriously. We are now paying the price for this inaction. Whilst NIEL recognises that ongoing efforts are being made to address some of the broader issues affecting our waterways, serious and decisive interventions are now required to change our current trajectory. Addressing the situation at Belfast Lough, and across all our water bodies, will require long-term, sustainable investment to upgrade current wastewater systems, and we need a clear plan for where this investment will come from. In addition, it is critical that regulation and enforcement effectively deter water pollution. We agree with the recent Review of Environmental Governance Report that more must be done to ensure compliance with our environmental laws, and we re-state our support for the establishment of an independent Environmental Protection Agency for NI to help address the issues in this area.

Max added, “We hope that the OEP’s investigation will pinpoint where things are going wrong in the wastewater system around Belfast Lough and set out a clear set of actions to improve the situation. This investigation will also highlight important lessons that will benefit the wider wastewater system and other water bodies across NI.” As Natalie Prosser, OEP CEO commented: “Although our investigation will focus on Belfast Lough, we know similar wastewater and sewage issues exist at other rivers and lakes. Our interest is in driving improvement across the wider regulatory system. What we find in this investigation will be relevant across Northern Ireland.” This latest OEP investigation is an important intervention that will contribute to the drive to protect and restore freshwater habitats across NI now, and for future generations.