Warm weather and fish kills triggers summer pollution warning

Date published: 26 June 2018

Industry, landowners and farmers are being urged to take extra care during the summer months to protect our water from pollution.

Latest news

Following the recent major fish kill on the River Callan in Armagh City, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) has warned that lower water levels and warmer temperatures means our waterways and wildlife are more susceptible to pollution.

Tim Irwin, Head of NIEA’s Water Management Unit said: “Every living thing depends on water. It is a precious resource that is fundamental for our health, our environment and economy.

“There are still too many water pollution incidents in Northern Ireland that cause damage to our environment and to our wildlife. We all have a duty to protect this essential asset and our landowners, farmers and industry must take extra precautions during the warmer months to ensure that pollutants are not allowed to escape into our freshwater, groundwater or marine environments.”

Mr Irwin explained that rivers are particularly vulnerable because warmer water temperatures means less oxygen is capable of being dissolved within the river water.

“Less oxygen combined with reduced water volume make our rivers more susceptible to the impacts of pollution. If released into a watercourse, organic substances such as slurry, silage or sewage effluent exert an oxygen demand and deplete the oxygen supply, causing the suffocation of fish and other aquatic animals. Water is a valuable and precious asset and we should treat it as such,” he added.

If you have any concerns about water pollution in your local area or want to report a water pollution incident, you can contact the NIEA water pollution hotline on 0800 807 060. This service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Notes to editors: 

  1. Under the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999, NIEA’s Water Management Unit (WMU), has a duty to promote the conservation of the water resources of Northern Ireland and the cleanliness of water in waterways and underground.
  2. The department may take photographs and videos at announcements and events to publicise its work. Photographs, interviews, videos or other recordings may be issued to media organisations for publicity purposes or used in promotional material, including in publications, newspapers, magazines, other print media, on television, radio and electronic media (including social media and the internet). Photographs and videos will also be stored on the department’s internal records management system. The department will keep the photographs and recordings for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which they have been obtained. The department’s Privacy Policy is available on our website.
  3. Follow DAERA on Twitter and Facebook.
  4. All media queries should be directed to the DAERA Press Office on 028 9052 4619 or via email. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer via pager number 07623 974 383 and your call will be returned.

Share this page

Back to top