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

Martin Millar (44), of Glenleary Road, Coleraine was convicted today (Friday, October 3) at Coleraine Magistrates Court, under Article 7(1)(a) of the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 as amended.

He pleaded guilty and was fined £1,500 plus £15 Offenders Levy.

The court heard that on November 4, 2024, that water quality inspectors from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) responded to a report of water pollution affecting the Castleroe Burn.

A white fungal growth was observed on the bed of the waterway near the Lower Bann. The pollution was traced upstream for a distance of approximately 2.5km to a dairy farm on the Castleroe Road operated by Martin Millar.

Inspectors examined the farm’s storm drainage system and detected the presence of silage effluent. Further investigation confirmed a link between the storm drainage system and the waterway.

As part of the investigation, inspectors collected a statutory sample of the discharge 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.

It is an offence under the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (as amended by the Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006) under Article 7(1)(a) to make a polluting discharge to a waterway, under Article 7(2) to make a discharge of trade or sewage effluent into a waterway and under Article 7(6) for contravening the conditions of a consent issued under Article 7A3(a).

Anyone wishing to report a water pollution incident can call the 24-hour NIEA Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60.