NI Water is failing Annsborough residents says Hazzard.
Sinn Féin’s Chris Hazzard MP has said residents in Annsborough are justifiably “angry” following weeks of flooding and issues with raw sewage.
Speaking after an on-site meeting with local residents affected, the South Down MP said: “Residents in Annsborough are once again feeling angry and dismayed following persistent issues with raw sewage and flooding in their homes since early December and they are angry with what they describe as ‘utterly abysmal communication’ from NIWater.
“Some of these residents have been left without basic sanitation, forced to travel to family homes nearby to use the bathroom.
“This is unacceptable at any time, but especially so during a public health emergency.
“The issue came to a head last weekend following heavy rainfall when the system simply couldn’t cope and caused flooding in local homes.
“Having called down myself,” said Mr Hazzard, “to help residents I had no option but to call upon the chief executive of NI Water to get an emergency tanker onsite which took away more than 60,000 litres of waste in less than 24 hours.
Local Slieve Croob Councillor Roisin Howell added: “We have also learnt in recent days that an emergency overflow system that could have helped has been blocked since last year and despite knowing this, NI Water failed to ensure this system could be utilised in Annsborough’s hour of need.
“These families have been kept in the dark about the need to upgrade the waste water pumping station, all the while having to deal with serious sewage issues within their own homes.
