The second stage debate on the Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill occurred yesterday (September 16) in Stormont, Belfast, marking progress on important changes to water and wastewater infrastructure across Northern Ireland.

The Bill is designed to improve how NI Water operates, with a focus on strengthening systems to cope with extreme weather such as droughts and flooding. It also sets the framework for more sustainable and environmentally responsible drainage solutions that will be built into future developments.

Discussing the Bill, Northern Ireland Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins said: "This legislation will help us to meet the challenges in how we manage and use our water resources, future-proof the system, and get on a path to integrate natural drainage systems more into our stormwater infrastructure.

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"Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), with a strong emphasis on nature-based SuDS, is not just about better drainage, it’s about building climate-resilient, healthy, attractive and sustainable communities in the North. It's a practical forward-looking investment in places and the environment and forms an integral part of my three-pronged approach which is already beginning to deliver encouraging results."

The Minister also highlight how, following June monitoring, she allocated £11 million to NI Water to unlock 3,000 houses in the Derry area and discussed since both herself and her predecessor, John O'Dowd, came into office they have provided ringfenced allocations to enable the unlocking of wastewater capacity for over 5,000 properties across the region. "This is already above the 4,300 that NI Water had originally planned to connect, if fully funded, by the end of this Price Control Period in 2028, and it is only 2025," added Minister Kimmins.

She concluded: "These are all important steps towards delivering a better water and wastewater infrastructure to meet the needs of our growing population and adapt to changing weather."