More than 2000 Moneymore residents benefit from sustainable water supply

The company has been adapting new technology to assist with the impact of climate change on the supply of drinking water.

More extremes in weather including drier, warmer periods and the recent cold winter have added stress to our water supplies.

With this trend set to continue, NI Water has been planning ahead to ensure the future security of the water supply.

In Moneymore, the use of this new technology has successfully enabled sustainable ground water to be sourced.

This will not only improve the resilience of supply for over 2,000 customers but will lower carbon emissions and energy costs as a result of reduced pumping and the use of solar energy.

NI Water has found this innovative solution by tapping into Earth’s most hidden asset, groundwater.

The groundwater abstraction by NI Water, in collaboration with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, using boreholes at an existing service reservoir in Moneymore, has been able to access a long-term, resilient water supply.

The successful exploration project is part of NI Water’s ambitious strategy to help address the climate emergency and to help society become carbon neutral by 2050.

Maynard Cousley, Head of Water Supply, said: “While much of Northern Ireland’s water supply is captured on higher ground through reservoirs, a significant proportion is drawn from lower lying loughs and rivers.

"This water often requires more treatment and pumping which increases emissions from fossil fuel generated electricity. In recent years we have also seen several unusually long dry spells and elevated temperatures, which create periods of exceptionally high demand for water.

“As a result, NI Water has faced increased water supply challenges and has been actively looking for a solution. We have learned a lot from this project and are keen to understand how other areas may benefit from this technology.

“We are delighted that over 2,000 customers in Moneymore will now have a sustainable supply thanks to groundwater sources and the resilience of the supply to a large number of customers in the wider Mid Ulster area will have been enhanced by the introduction of this new source.”