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3 days ago
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The introduction of water rates in Northern Ireland could address crumbling wastewater infrastructure and the impact on waterways, it has been suggested.
It comes as the Stormont executive works to halt an environmental crisis at Lough Neagh, where noxious blooms of blue-green algae have covered the surface of the water across the past two summers.
The lough is the largest freshwater lake by surface area in the UK and Ireland, supplies 40% of Northern Ireland’s drinking water and sustains a major eel fishing industry.
But it is facing a “perfect storm” caused by pollution, nutrients, the climate crisis and invasive species, according to Gerry Darby, the manager of the Lough Neagh Partnership.
He praised the approach and actions taken so far by the agriculture, environment and rural affairs minister, Andrew Muir, but warned of wider problems that needed a whole-of-executive approach.
Darby said the Lough Neagh action plan, and particularly the setting up of a stakeholder forum led by Muir, was positive and was a first for a minister.
He said 10 of the actions had already been implemented, including appointing water inspectors and looking to the private sector for innovation, but it would take decades to start to see improvement.
“Is the nutrient level going to come down immediately? No, it’s not. Is the level of phosphorus going to come down? Probably not, but at least you can now begin to look at setting targets,” Darby said.
“It’s important to remember it’s not just farmers; there are a lot of nutrients coming in off the waste management processing units within NI Water and septic tanks – we’re all contributing to it – and other factors such as topography, there is only one river out of the lough. There is not great flow to flush it out.
“There is also climate change as well as invasive species in there. It all came together to create a perfect storm, and at least the minister has engaged with many organisations to try and find solutions.”
He added: “It will be a long-term solution – nobody has ever suggested that the reduction of nutrients in Lough Neagh is going to happen overnight. It is estimated that it will take somewhere between 10 and 20 years before we’re beginning to see change.”
Darby said part of the problem was that people assume the blue-green algae is the only problem in the lough, pointing out the absence of a navigation authority as well as the wastewater system that was described by the head of NI Water as being “at breaking point”.
He said addressing the wastewater system would require the hard choice between trying to secure more money from the Westminster government, rejigging the strained Stormont budget or considering charging water rates.
While non-domestic water charges already apply in Northern Ireland, there has been strong political opposition to introducing domestic water charges.
“The other elephant in the room is the money needed for infrastructure for wastewater management,” Darby said. “This year the budget of NI Water for capital investment has been cut in half. That is a big, serious issue that politicians need to find an answer to.
“There are three choices: you ask Westminster to cough up more, Stormont reprioritises budgets, or else the big, controversial one is that you introduce water rates, which is pretty standard in the rest of the UK.
“I couldn’t comment on that personally but I think it is something that needs to be given serious consideration in the context of the issues also facing Belfast Lough. The problem, of course, is that it is political dynamite.”
