South Derry firm fined £500 arising out of river pollution incident near Draperstown

The waterway impacted was the Altagoan River at Draperstown.

Lodge Renewables Ltd was fined and charged under Article 7(1)(a) of the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 as amended for the offence of making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

The court heard that on January 12 2021 Water Quality Inspectors (WQIs) responded to a report of water pollution affecting the Altagoan River downstream of Gortnaskey Road, Draperstown.

Grey fungus was observed on the bed of the waterway and an agricultural odour was detected from the water, upstream the waterway was clean.

The WQIs observed an active discharge of agricultural effluent with the appearance and smell of silage flowing and ponding along on the bank of the Altagoan River adjacent to the anaerobic digester at Gortnaskey Road, Draperstown.

An Inspector discovered a pipe discharging effluent from the embankment area. A statutory sample of the silage effluent actively discharging from the pipe was collected in accordance with procedures.

Green tracing dye was added to a pipe at the rear of the yard, a short time later the dye was observed flowing across the riverbank and actively discharging to the Altagoan River.

The sample was analysed and found to contain poisonous, noxious, or polluting matter which was potentially harmful to fish life in the receiving waterway.

Anyone wishing to report a pollution incident can call the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs 24 hour Incident Hotline on: 0800 80 70 60.