A MAIN river that supplies some of Derry's drinking water is being tested to ensure it has not been contaminated by a huge illegal landfill.
The illegal dump near Mobuoy - thought to hold up to a million tonnes of waste - was flooded after the River Faughan burst its banks in a storm last Tuesday.
The storm caused considerable damaged to several areas in the north west, including Drumahoe, Eglinton and Inishowen in Co Donegal.
NI Water stopped taking water from River Faughan after equipment at its pumping station was damaged on the night of the storm, the BBC reported.
The company and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) are continuing to take water samples from the river and the Mobuoy site.
NI Water said so far its tests showed water quality had not been affected. It hopes to resume taking water from the river again within the next few days.
An NI Water spokesman told the BBC: "Any water which may have come into contact with the old landfill site and washed back into the river will have moved very quickly downriver and would not therefore be an issue for the abstraction point".
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin has called for a financial relief scheme for farmers affected by the floods.
West Tyrone MLA Declan McAleer will meet the permanent secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs this week to discuss financial support for farmers.
He pointed out that farmers hit by heavy snowfall in 2013 were able to access relief.
"It is vital now that DAERA and the other government departments also rise to the challenge and give people the help they need in this hour of need," he said.
Derry City and Strabane District Council said yesterday it has paid out up to £270,000 in emergency payments to householders affected by the floods.
