A farmer in Northern Ireland has been convicted in court in relation to a water pollution offence.
36-years-old, Andrew Hogg from Coollane Road, Maguiresbridge was convicted today (Monday, January 26) at Enniskillen Magistrates Court, under Article 7(1)(a) of the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 as amended.
Hogg pleaded guilty and was fined £750 plus £15 Offenders Levy.
On September 16, 2024, water quality inspectors from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) responded to a report of water pollution in the Tempo River.
Upon arrival, the NIEA inspectors observed that the riverbed was extensively covered in fungus, an indication of significant environmental impact.
Following investigation further upstream, the source of the pollution was traced to Hogg’s farm.
NIEA Inspectors identified a discharge of strong smelling effluent, consistent in appearance and odour to silage effluent, coming from a blue pipe and then discharging into a tributary of the Tempo River.
The effluent was flowing down the riverbank and discharging to the waterway.
The pollution had a visible impact on the tributary of the Tempo River, and on the Tempo River itself, for approximately 300m, confirming the severity of the discharge and its impact on the aquatic environment, according to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).
As part of the investigation, a statutory sample of the discharge was collected and analysed. The sample results indicated that the sample contained poisonous, noxious or polluting matter which would have been potentially harmful to aquatic life in a receiving waterway.
It is an offence to make a polluting discharge to a waterway and to make a discharge of trade or sewage effluent into a waterway.
Anyone wishing to report a water pollution incident can call the 24-hour NIEA Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60.
