Water quality improvements on the way for Lough Erne

WATER quality in Fermanagh is set for a significant improvement thanks to a funding boost, with the Executive stating it is a ‘key priority’ this year.
Major concerns have been raised over the state of the water quality in Fermanagh, with excess sewage visible to many residents in local loughs, with a high level of drugs also found in Lough Erne.
Northern Ireland Agriculture Minister, Andrew Muir, confirmed the launch of the latest scheme, the Water Quality Improvement Strand of the Environmental Challenge Fund Competition.
Available for non-profit organisations and local councils, the funds will help investment in projects that will deliver improvements to the local water environment throughout the North.
“This strand of NIEA’s Environmental Challenge Fund is delivering on my key priority of improving water quality,” explained Minister Muir.
“It has provided £1.2million in support for groups and volunteers involved in 60 projects including river clean-ups, habitat schemes and catchment interventions over the past six years.
“I encourage eligible organisations to consider submitting an application through this scheme to deliver improvements in their local water environments, including Lough Neagh and its catchment areas.”
The announcement comes just weeks after it was reported that the EU Peaceplus programme has pledged multi-million pound investment to tackle the water pollution issue in Fermanagh.
Amounting to £32 million, the ‘Water Enhancements through Sustainable Treatment’ will represent a dynamic cross-border initiative between NI Water and Uisce Éireann.
The project will implement four low-carbon capital wastewater treatment upgrades in the villages of Belleek and Garrison in the North and Ballybay and Blacklion in the South.
Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP, Pat Cullen, hailed the investment from the EU Peaceplus programme, which guarantees to improve the water quality in the county and its border areas.
“It will make a huge difference to the water quality for people in border areas around Lough Erne, Lough Melvin and Donegal Bay, which we greatly welcome,” explained Ms Cullen.
Last year, ‘The States of Us’ podcast on BBC NI revealed that cocaine and by-products of Class A drugs have been found ‘quite strongly’ in Lough Erne and across some of the major lakes in the North.