NORTHERN Ireland Water has been fined £13,000 for causing pollution of a river in Co Down.
The fine relates to a sewage discharge that severely impacted several hundred metres of the Blackwater River.
A water quality inspector, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), examined the sewage discharge in 2014.
Further investigations traced the source to the NI Water wastewater treatment works at Moneyrea.
On four further occasions over the next 16 months NIEA found this discharge to be recurring.
Samples taken confirmed it contained poisonous, noxious or polluting matter that was potentially harmful to fish.
NI Water was yesterday convicted at Newtownards Magistrates Court of two offences of making a polluting discharge to a waterway and was fined £5,000 for each.
The firm was also fined in total £3,000 for three offences of breaching the conditions of a Water Order consent issued by NIEA.
