NI drinking water supply ‘at risk’ in dry weather because of lack of investment

Northern Ireland risks having insufficient drinking water during hot weather without a significant increase in infrastructure investment, the chief of NI Water has said.

Sara Venning also said there would be a continued stop on applications for wastewater connections for new housing and warned Belfast Lough risks becoming the “next Lough Neagh” because of sewage pollution.

Ms Venning, the chief executive of NI Water, appeared before Stormont’s Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday.

The company, which provides water and sewerage services in Northern Ireland, is funded through the block grant provided to Stormont by the Treasury.

Ms Venning told MLAs that their business plan for 2028 to 2033 required almost double the level of its current capital investment.

She said: “Only with those kind of levels can we begin to reverse the years of underinvestment.

“This level of significantly increased funding is what our peers across the UK and the Republic of Ireland are already starting to invest.”

She added: “Without proper investment in the publicly owned water and wastewater infrastructure, Northern Ireland risks insufficient drinking water during hotter, drier periods and a continued stop on applications for wastewater connections for housing and for economic growth.

“The wastewaster system in Northern Ireland will continue to pollute because when existing connections exceed the capacity of the network, pollution is inevitable because we can’t stop receiving their wastewater.”

An Audit Office report last year found that a lack of water infrastructure is delaying or halting proposed housing developments and called for a comprehensive review of the current funding arrangements for NI Water.

Ms Venning told the committee that the company had been underfunded by £470 million compared with a recommendation from the Utility Regulator in 2021.

She said: “The result of that is a quarter of the work that was deemed essential will not happen, around 100 towns and villages will remain constrained, unable to grow without risking further environmental damage.

“Through innovation and collaboration we have enabled some housing development, but there has been no real progress on the structural environmental deficit.

“In fact it could be said we are going backwards.”

She said a £1.4 billion Living With Water plan for Belfast had “stalled”.

Ms Venning added: “Without it Belfast Lough risks becoming the next Lough Neagh, except in Belfast Lough sewage is the primary pollutant and that is a direct result of underinvestment.

“NI Water aspires to the day when we no longer need legal protection from prosecution for pollution incidents.

“But aspiration alone isn’t enough, only investment and collective action will fix this.”

The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) this week announced an investigation into the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera), as well as the the Utility Regulator over the regulation of sewage discharges into Belfast Lough.

Ms Venning said that the provision of water and wastewater services in Northern Ireland is currently on a “knife-edge”.

She added: “Last year was just about manageable for us because the weather was benign and because rainfall was low, particularly through the autumn and winter.

“If conditions turn against us this year we face some risk in relation to our operating costs.”

UUP MLA John Stewart said the evidence given to the committee was a sad indictment of the situation facing the region.

He said: “Sadly for me this is probably the starkest which we have heard.

“It reflects the tragic reality of the under-investment that Northern Ireland Water has faced and the crisis that you have outlined.

“When you say delivering fresh drinking water could be at risk and that we are looking at the next Lough Neagh in Belfast Lough due to the lack of waste capacity…

“These are absolutely tragic statements and a sad indictment of the situation we currently face.”