Archived press release

Water reform

11 March 2003

Friends of the Earth today responded to the Ministerial announcement on water reform [1] by urging people to accept that clean water, clean rivers and clean beaches will have to be paid for.

Friends of the Earth's Head of Campaigns, John Woods said:

"The issue is not whether but how water and sewage charging will be implemented. The poor and the vulnerable must be protected but the rest of us should be prepared to pay our way."

Mr Woods continued

"But this does not let Government off the hook of finding the funds which are needed immediately to build sewage works in places like Bangor, Larne and much of the North Coast where raw sewage from thousands of households is being pumped into our seas. Far too much urgent work is currently on the long finger. [2]"

Notes

[1] DRD press release 11 March 2003

[2] There is no sewage treatment for Bangor's 60,000 population or Larne's 30,000 people . Water Service have scheduled the work for Bangor for 2006 onwards to be paid for by Public Private Partnership - in other words no money has been allocated. The situation is the same for the North Coast and a number of other locations across Northern Ireland which are currently in breach of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.

Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland
7 Donegall Street Place
BELFAST
BT1 2FN
Tel: 028 9023 3488
Fax: 028 9024 7556
Email: foe-ni@foe.co.uk.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust