Northern Ireland risks breaching wastewater rules warns minister

Northern Ireland risks breaching environmental rules on wastewater management if it fails to tackle systemic capacity issues, according to infrastructure minister, Nichola Mallon.

Mallon (pictured) issued her warning during exchanges in the Northern Ireland Assembly over the state of Northern Ireland Water’s wastewater treatment network and associated funding issues. Mallon’s department has responsibility for the publicly-owned utility.

She told Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) that chronic under investment had left the water company with a backlog of work that would “realistically” take 12 years to address.

She said: “Without sufficient investment, Northern Ireland Water will be a risk of breaching statutory environmental obligations and the ability of the economy to recover could be put at risk.”

Currently new housing development across many areas of the province is at a standstill because of lack of modern sewage treatment facilities.

She pointed out that 2020/21 was the first year in a “long time” that Northern Ireland Water had been fully funded under its price control.

Mallon said she would continue to lobby ministerial colleagues over the size of Northern Ireland Water’s annual budget. “If we do not invest in our water and wastewater infrastructure, we will not be able grow our economy, build the many homes we need or tackle the climate emergency” she insisted.

The minister allocated £364.5 million to the company this fiscal year.

• On the day following Mallon’s warning, DUP MLA, Johnathan Buckley, told the Assembly that “The running failure to address the underinvestment in our wastewater infrastructure is severely hampering economic development and house building in every part of Northern Ireland.”

Buckley, under private members’ business, argued that capital investment under the current price controls that will include £529 million and £816 million to maintain existing capacity, was “a damage limitation exercise, which threatens to generate further regional inequalities for people who live and work in areas right across Northern Ireland,” predicting that “half of the affected towns and villages will see no direct benefit.”

And he said the infrastructure minister “did not provide the Utility Regulator with any indication of the budget that is available over the next six financial years ahead of the latest price control determination.”

Later in the debate Sinn Fein’s Padraig Delargy MLA said: “Many sewerage networks and treatment plants are now operating at or beyond their capacity. That is having an impact on housing, development, business and promoting regional balance by restricting the development of over 100 areas across the North.”