A MAJOR pollution spill has left a ‘lake of raw sewage’ close to the scenic nature walk near Bangor’s Castle Park and city hall.
The source of the spill is understood to be the pumping station at the edge of Castle Park, where the ‘disgusting’ and very large spill of sludgy sewage is causing a stink for walkers and residents in the nearby Abbey area of the city.
A major clean-up operation was underway yesterday amid claims that NI Water failed to take seriously the initial reports from local residents.
A local contractor working at the scene said it was the worst he had seen in 30 years and there is speculation that the spill is linked to last month’s leak at Bangor Marina.
NI Water has blamed the leak on a blockage caused by ‘a considerable amount of inappropriate materials’ being flushed, stating ‘no amount of investment’ can make up for this.
Locals residents first reported the leak on Tuesday afternoon, when a vast area of Pigeon Wood, part of the parkland surrounding Bangor City Hall, and the lower end of public football pitches at Valentine Playing Fields, became swamped in a ‘disgusting river of sewage sludge’.
Sewage flowed along the public walking trails in the wooded area, which is popular with dog walkers, after manholes within the picturesque area were breached.
Residents of the Abbey Park and Abbey Hill Drive area of Bangor, adjacent to the park and playing fields, observed ‘brown water’ seeping onto their street, accompanied by a ‘terrible stench’ .
Local resident James Douglas had been walking in the picturesque setting when he was confronted by the ‘revolting’ sight – a ‘river of raw sewage’.
“The sewage which was physically flowing up out of the ground and was at least 20 feet long and at least a couple of feet wide,” he said.
“It was bubbling up out of the ground, close to the Valentine playing fields.
NI Water was alerted by at least two callers and were onsite by approximately 7.30pm that evening.
Green Party councillor Barry McKee has criticised NI Water’s for its ‘slow response’ to the initial reports.
Mr McKee told how his wife, Leah, had been in the area on Tuesday afternoon when she was confronted by the unpleasant sight.
“It was around mid-afternoon when she saw it and by the time I got down to it, at around 4pm, it was literally a lake of raw sewage.
“It was bursting out of the manhole, in the green space on the football pitches,” he said.
Mr McKee reported the issue to NI Water, adding: “The council was on the phone to NI Water who said they didn’t take the first report seriously,” he said.
Mr McKee reported that the workmen on site said ‘there were no blockages and they didn’t know what caused it, and said it was pretty strange’.
Reflecting on NI Water’s response to the spill, Mr McKee said it was ‘worrying” how long the water authority took to attend the spill ‘despite being provided with sufficient information and description of how serious the spill was’.
“If the initial flow had continued at the rate when I first reported the spill, the homes of residents who live next to the park would have been in danger of being deluged by the flow of waste,” he said.
The councillor said he would be writing to the Chief Executive of NI Water ‘to ensure this incident has been brought to senior management attention and to ensure that no other serious incident reported to NI Water is treated in the same casual way in the future’.
Councillor Alex Harbinson agreed it was ‘very worrying’.
“I share the serious concerns of residents in Bangor about its impact on the surrounding area”, he said, expressing gratitude to NI Water and the council officials for acting quickly.
“It is vital the matter is properly investigated and never occurs again.”
