A farmer in Northern Ireland has been convicted in court for a water pollution offence.

45-year-old Michael Donnelly from Drumenny Road, Cookstown was convicted today (Monday, September 8) at Dungannon Magistrates Court, under Article 7(1)(a) of the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 as amended.

He pleaded guilty and was fined £1,000 plus £15 Offenders Levy.

The court heard how on November 11, 2024 water quality inspectors from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) responded to a report of water pollution affecting the Curran Drain, a tributary of Lough Neagh.

Upon inspection, the riverbed was found to be heavily coated with grey-coloured sewage fungus. An agricultural odour was present, and bloodworms (an indicator of poor water quality) were visible in the affected area.

The inspectors traced the pollution upstream for a distance of approximately 2.7km (which they said demonstrated significant environmental harm) to the Drumenny Road, Cookstown.

Upstream of Donnelly’s farm, the waterway was visually clean, while downstream it was "grossly" polluted, with the bed of the waterway covered in grey-coloured sewage fungus and significant accumulations of bloodworms.

On the farm, the inspectors examined silage clamps and silage effluent collection and storage facilities. A significant volume of maize silage effluent was observed flowing to a collection chamber.

The adjacent effluent storage tank was observed to be full and overflowing. 

As part of the investigation, inspectors collected a statutory sample of the maize silage effluent for analysis.  The sample results confirmed the presence of poisonous, noxious or polluting matter which would have been potentially harmful to aquatic life in the receiving waterway.

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has stated that anyone wishing to report a water pollution incident can call the 24-hour NIEA Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60.