A man from Antrim has been hit with a £3,000 fine after pleading guilty to a case involving water pollution in the Ballygally River.

James Montgomery Fleck, 51, was found to have breached the the terms of a discharge consent issued by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

On 07 March 2016, a Water Quality Inspector, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, responded to a report of water pollution where sewage was discharging into the Ballygally River adjacent to a housing development. The Inspector observed sewage on the concrete outfall and a discharge was observed flowing from the emergency overflow pipe from the private sewage pumping station that serves the properties to the waterway which then discharges to the bathing water at Ballygally Beach.

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Further reports of pollution were received on five dates between 07 March 2016 and 22 August 2017.

A positive dye test from one of the houses confirmed the dye was discharging from the emergency overflow pipe and was observed in the Ballygally Burn.

Mr Fleck holds a consent to discharge under the Water Order which permits discharges for emergency overflow from the pumping station to the waterway in certain conditions. This ongoing situation contravened the conditions of the consent to discharge issued by the Department.   

(CM/MH)