Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail the basis on which NI Water has declared drinking water extracted from Lough Neagh to be safe.
Minister for Infrastructure: The provision of safe drinking water is an operational matter for NI Water. However, I have sought the requested information and have been advised as follows:
Drinking water supplied from water treatment works which source raw water from Lough Neagh are monitored daily using monitoring systems which are linked to 24 hour staffed surveillance. Throughout this event, test results from the final water leaving each of the water treatment plants is assessed against Regulatory standards within the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations (NI) 2017 and the recast of the EU Drinking Water Directive and a public health impact assessment is made. This is completed in liaison with the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), the Public Health Agency (PHA) and the relevant Environmental Health Officers.
NI water has further advised that the taste and odour emanating from water produced at Lough Neagh is as a result of Geosmin and Methyl-Isoborneol. Geosmin and Methyl-Isoborneol are naturally occurring compounds which are found in soil and food and do not pose a risk to human health.
Should you have any further queries with regards this you can contact NI Water 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.
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