Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister for Infrastructure, following the Speaker’s Ruling on Assembly Questions on 12 March 2024, and pursuant to AQW 10671/22-27, to detail (i) how many Event Duration Monitors have been installed at Combined Sewer Overflows across NI Water’s wastewater network; and (ii) the percentage of the network covered by Event Duration Monitors, broken down by (a) River Basin Districts; and (b) Local Management Areas.
Minister for Infrastructure: The management of Northern Ireland’s public wastewater infrastructure is an operational matter for NI Water. However, I have sought the requested information from NI Water and have been advised as follows:
As of week commencing 3 June 2024, 292 storm overflows have had Event Duration Monitors (EDMs) installed and sufficiently verified to support effective use for operational maintenance and monitoring. Of these, 82 have been fully quality assured for both operational maintenance and release of spill count data to the public.
(i) the percentage of NI Water’s wastewater network covered by EDMs, broken down by River Basin District, is set out in the table below.
| River Basin District | No. of storm overflows in River Basin | No. of storm overflows with EDMs | % of EDM coverage |
| Neagh Bann | 996 | 75 | 8 |
| North Eastern | 937 | 162 | 17 |
| North Western | 511 | 55 | 11 |
| Total | 2444 | 292 | 12 |
(ii) the percentage of NI Water’s wastewater network covered by EDMs, broken down by Local Management Area, is set out in the table below.
| Local Management Area (LMA) | No. of storm overflows in LMA | No. of storm overflows with EDMs | % of EDM coverage |
| Lagan | 306 | 28 | 9 |
| River Blackwater | 214 | 17 | 8 |
| Strangford | 200 | 32 | 16 |
| Belfast Lough | 145 | 43 | 30 |
| Upper Bann | 143 | 1 | 1 |
| Lower Bann | 126 | 8 | 6 |
| Carlingford & Newry | 115 | 4 | 3 |
| Lough Neagh | 107 | 0 | 0 |
| Roe | 92 | 14 | 15 |
| Braid & Main | 92 | 9 | 10 |
| South Down | 91 | 17 | 19 |
| Strule | 81 | 8 | 10 |
| Burn Dennet & Foyle | 80 | 15 | 19 |
| Ballinderry | 79 | 10 | 13 |
| Upper Lough Erne | 77 | 5 | 6 |
| Bush | 74 | 22 | 30 |
| Lower Lough Erne | 55 | 0 | 0 |
| Quoile | 52 | 4 | 8 |
| Derg & Mourne | 51 | 15 | 29 |
| Glens & Rathlin | 49 | 19 | 39 |
| Moyola | 48 | 0 | 0 |
| Faughan | 44 | 9 | 20 |
| Six Mile Water | 41 | 7 | 17 |
| Larne Lough | 39 | 5 | 13 |
| Lough Melivn & Arney | 34 | 0 | 0 |
| Owenkillew | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2444 | 292 | 12 |
For any future queries relating to operational matters, you should contact NI Water directly, through the Elected Representatives Hotline on 0345 300 6461 or through waterline@niwater.com
Making direct contact with NI Water will ensure that you receive the information in the shortest possible timeframe and make best use of limited public resources.
ENDS
Your MLA 