Newcastle Beach Fails Water Quality Tests

Already the new Down District Council on its full meeting has solidly addressed this issue and has focused on positive outcomes within the short timescale of four years reassuring local traders and visiting tourists they will leave no stone unturned on this key issue of Newcastle beach. NI Water plans to spend over £15 on the sewerage and water treatment works, but local councillors have expressed their concerns. Newcastle Councillor Carmel O’ Boyle speaking at a full Council meeting, said, “Year after year our water quality in Newcastle is deemed to be failing these tests and until something is done as a matter of extreme urgency, the people who rely on local tourism are working with one hand tied behind their backs. The poor state of our bathing water is a direct result of the appalling sewerage infrastructure and inadequate pumping station at the Harbour. [caption id="attachment_24393" align="alignleft" width="267" caption="Newcastle faces a dilemma as its beach has been given a thumbs down by the Marine Conservation Society."][/caption] “We have been promised a multi-million pound upgrade of this network in 2013, but we need to get assurances from the new DRD Minister, Danny Kennedy that he will honour the promises made by previous Ministers and will ensure the Newcastle remains a priority by ring-fencing and protecting this money for Newcastle. “This project needs to start on time in 2013 if we are to meet the criteria set by Europe in 2015. Newcastle’s dream of obtaining ‘Blue Flag Status’ can never be achieved without this vital work. “The holding tank that is at present being installed by  NIW in Castle Park is, in every sense of the word, nothing more than a ‘holding’ tank. While welcome, it is a sticking plaster on a much bigger problem. “Development is almost at a stand-still in Newcastle until the major work on our sewerage infrastructure is done. Newcastle is a town in which so many people want to make their homes, but they are prevented from doing so because of the hold-up in the sewerage upgrade. The Assembly members need to recognise and address the problem. On one the one hand Newcastle is a premier resort, but  this image is at variance with the findings of the Good Beach Guide 2011.” Councillors unanimously supported this proposal which included writing to the DRD Minister asking for  confirmation that Newcastle’s money will be available in 2013, writing to the Environment Minister highlighting findings of MCS Report in relation to Newcastle and asking for his support, and also writin to NI Water for a report on their future plans for a programme of work on the Newcastle sewerage network. Councillor Reaction Cllr Willie Clarke: “The last thing we want to do is damage our tourist industry. In my last conversation with former DRD MInister Conor Murphy, he explained that Newcastle was a priority. This problem with sewage is happening in other areas in our District such as Ballybornan where raw sewage is going into th esea affecting water quality. We also need a beach management  scheme to maintain our beaches.” Cllr Dessie Patterson: “This issue has been going on too long. It is holding up the development of jobs. It will be a health disaster i fit is not sorted out soon.” Cllr Eamonn O’Neill: “We need to ensure that the money for this major works is ringfenced and we need a sense of urgency about this. It must not go on the long finger. There is a lot of work in hand as the tourist season is about the start. But it must be put in the context of where other beaches are too to see the wider picture. ” Cllr Patrick Clarke: “I fully support and welcome the motion and what all the others have already said. It is a major problem that must be fixed.” Cllr William Dick: “This is a very timely motion. It is absolutely crucial for the development of Newcastle that we get this right. We could create a false image o fNewcastle and this needs reversed. Newcastle is our main attraction and must remain that.” Cllr Terry Andrews: “I fully endorse all the others on tghis issue. The DRD and DOE need to work together to get this problem sorted out quickly.” Water Management: A Complex Picture NI Water has indicated that the upgrade to the sewerage network in the Newcastle area represents an investment of approx £5.5 million.  The work to the treatment works is in the region of £10 million. And according to the Marine Conservation Society’s (MCS) Good Beach Guide 2011, 10 beaches out of the 24 tested in Northern Ireland have been recommended for excellent water quality. The impact, however, from last year’s downpours is still being felt with 3 beaches, Ballyholme, Cranfield Bay and Newcastle failing.  Heavy rain can result in fertilisers and animal waste being carried into the sea, while also increasing the need for combined sewer overflows to operate. Testing, which took place between June and September 2010, coincided with an extremely wet summer. Furthermore, data from the Met Office states that the summers 2007-2009 combined were the wettest since 1914. Commenting on the MCS guide, Angela Halpenny, Head of Environmental Regulation at Northern Ireland Water said, “We are confident some of the investment we have already made will be seen in the results for next year, and by 2013 we plan to invest in excess of £300 million on improvements to our sewerage network system and wastewater treatment works.” “NI Water welcomes the MSC report and the challenge of further stringent guidelines over the coming years.   It is important to continually strive to improve upon the work we are doing. “We are confident some of the investment we have already made will be seen in the results for next year, and by 2013 we plan to invest in excess of £300 million on improvements to our sewerage network system and wastewater treatment works.” “NI Water welcomes the MSC report and the challenge of further stringent guidelines over the coming years.   It is important to continually strive to improve upon the work we are doing. “As one of Northern Ireland’s most important environmental stewards, we invest significant resources and measures in safeguarding it. Improving the wastewater infrastructure in Northern Ireland is a major priority for NI Water.” Another factor NIW highlighted that impacts on bathing water quality is when inappropriate items, such as cotton buds and nappies, wipes etc are flushed down the toilet. These items often make their way through the sewerage system and onto our beaches, or cause serious blockages that can lead to the operation of emergency overflows. Wastewater Treatment Works and sewerage systems are not designed to deal with such objects, therefore NI Water’s advice is to ‘Bag it and Bin it – don’t flush it.’]]>