Archived press release

High Court victory in Northern Ireland sewage hotspots case

28 June 2006

The Northern Ireland Water Service has been acting unlawfully by allowing new developments to be connected to the public sewer without taking into account the impact on pollution and the environment, the High Court in Belfast ruled today [1]. Today's judgment followed a legal challenge brought by Friends of the Earth [2].

Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland's director, John Woods, said,

"This is a victory for the environment and for the many people across Northern Ireland who are plagued by sewage pollution. It is a victory for anglers; for bathers; for children playing innocently in polluted sheughs; for wildlife; for tourism; and for our economy. No longer can Water Service connect new developments to the sewage system without taking the pollution impacts into account."

"This is not just a judgement against Water Service but against the whole Government apparatus that has deliberately put the narrow economic interests of the construction industry ahead of both the environment and human health. A succession of Ministers and senior civil servants in the Department of the Environment have ignored warnings that allowing unrestricted development in sewage `hotspots' is unlawful. They are also guilty of wasting large amounts of public money spent on legal costs in seeking to defend the indefensible.

"Now that the court has ordered Water Service to take pollution impacts into account when they make decisions on sewer connections, we will be keeping a close eye on them to make sure that they do not allow pollution to be increased as a result of new developments."

The judicial review is part of a prolonged campaign to persuade Northern Ireland Ministers to review their policy of allowing new building developments in 57 sewage 'hotspots' across Northern Ireland without assessing the environmental implications. Since 2002 new developments have been connected to the public sewer even where inadequate or no sewage treatment exists, exacerbating ongoing and serious breaches of EU pollution standards.

The issue is soon to be tested in the European Court as the result of an official complaint made by Friends of the Earth.

Notes

1. Judgement delivered by Mr Justice Weatherup at the High Court in Belfast today in the case of Friends of the Earth

2. Government in court over sewage pollution

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust