An East Antrim assemblyman has raised the issue of sewage treatment at Islandmagee during question time in the Assembly.

Ulster Unionist Roy Beggs asked about the implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Directive, pointing out that in England and Wales the government insists on secondary treatment for sewage before coastal discharge for populations over 2,000.

However the proposed plan for the combined populations of Ballycarry, Ballystrudder and Whitehead, a population of around 7,500 does not cater for secondary treatment as standard, according to the MLA.

He said: "To meet the urban waste water treatment directive, Northern Ireland Water does not propose to treat secondary sewage but to discharge untreated sewage from Ballycarry, Whitehead and Ballystrudder into the mouth of Belfast Lough."

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Mr Beggs asked Regional Development Minister, Conor Murphy, to review the population threshold.

The Minister said Mr Beggs had to bear in mind the difference when it comes to the standards that are applied.

"He particularly referred to the standards that were adopted in Britain, which are known as the Meacher principles. Those followed a period of very substantial investment in water and sewerage infrastructure in Britain, which was something from which we did not benefit."

Mr Murphy said it is not correct to describe what is being discharged in places like Cloughfin, Whitehead, Ballycarry and Ballystrudder as raw sewage.

"I understand that the proposed discharge at Cloughfin, in particular, will consist of secondary treated effluent from a works at Ballycarry, along with screened waste water from Ballystrudder and Whitehead.

"The combined population equivalent is less than 10,000, and, as the effluent is discharged into coastal water, secondary treatment is not required."

Speaking later from his constituency office, Mr Beggs described the Minister's response as "disappointing but inaccurate".

"I do not find it acceptable that British citizens in this part of the United Kingdom are not benefitting from the same environmental protection afforded to our fellow citizens in GB."

(PR/BMcC)