County Derry Post

 

Residents of a Dungiven housing estate are kicking up a stink about a blocked sewer which has resulted in human waste flowing freely through their area.

 By Cahair O’Kane

info@derrypost.com

 

A Rannyglass resident contacted the County Derry Post last week to express his anger at the situation and explained that sewerage had been running out of a blocked manhole through the past week.

 

He said that he had contacted the Water Service on Wednesday morning but nothing had been done about the situation.

 

“This has been an ongoing situation for a few years now,” he said.

 

“There’s a switch pump at the bottom of the site that hasn’t been right for a couple of years.

 

“This happens once every couple of months but they seem to clear out the manholes and forget about the pump and the problem just resurfaces.   I got a rates bill in on Monday and I look out and that and think, ‘what am I paying rates for?’”

 

Rannyglass resident Jim Burke also said that the actions of the Water service were ‘not acceptable.’

 

“Well, I don’t think the situation is particularly hygienic,” he said. “I have a couple of grandsons living just beside where the blocked manhole is and it certainly is neither safe nor hygienic.”

 

A spokesman for Northern Ireland Water said: “Northern Ireland Water (NIW) was alerted to a blocked sewer at Ronnyglass Estate, Dungiven.  Contractors attended the scene to clear the blockage.  The work was completed on Wednesday evening at 8:30.  A partial clean up was carried out in poor light, so contractors returned to the area this morning to complete the clean up operation.

  “NIW believe the blockage was caused by a large stone in the sewer.  NIW would like to take this opportunity to highlight the damage and distress dumping inappropriate items down the sewer can have on the community.  Valuable resources are used clearing these problems which could be used elsewhere.”