Farmer fined £500

Mr Robert Poots, of Edentrillick Hill, was fined for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

On March 8, 2012, a Water Quality Inspector (WQI), acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, responded to a report of pollution and inspected a tributary of the River Lagan adjacent to the farm of Mr Robert Poots at Edentrillick Hill, Hillsborough. It was observed that the waterway was dark in colour and contained sewage fungus.

On inspection the WQI observed several points around the farm of Mr Poots where farm effluent was discharging directly to the waterway. In excess of 300 metres of waterway was affected.

A sample taken at the time of the incident confirmed that the discharge contained poisonous, noxious or polluting matter which was potentially harmful to fish life in the receiving waterway.

Mr Poots was charged under Article 7 (1) (a) of the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 with the offence of making a polluting discharge to a waterway.