By Sarah Curran
A Killyleagh man believes investment is urgently needed to upgrade what he calls the town’s “failing wastewater assets”.
James Kilpatrick is calling on Newry, Mourne and Down District Council to get behind him and raise concerns about the sewage treatment capacity in Killyleagh.
For years, the 41-year-old has been in contact with several governmental bodies, hoping for someone to take the issue forward. Feeling his concerns have fallen on deaf ears, the concerned resident has penned an open letter to Rowallane councillors, calling for their support.
Mr Kilpatrick explained there are 13 combined sewer overflows in Killyleagh, which collect both rainwater and wastewater. In the event of heavy rainfall, to prevent sewage backing up into homes they act as a relief valve, he added, by discharging into Strangford Lough.
However, Mr Kilpatrick stated that 10 out of the 13 overflows are breaching environmental standards.
He said the issue of Killyleagh’s sewerage system had “actively strangled housing development”, blocked a planned upgrade to Killyleagh Integrated Primary School and caused “constant, undocumented environmental damage for decades”.
Mr Kilpatrick said that the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) and the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) were both aware of the wastewater failings, with one correspondence from the DfI Minister indicating the issue would be “considered” in 2032, adding that it would take a projected £9m to resolve.
However, with no promises of an imminent fix, Mr Kilpatrick hopes to inspire his local councillors to drive the issue forward, noting that the £9m quoted back in 2023 could now cost ratepayers substantially more.
Mr Kilpatrick said: “Everybody is just being reactive and there isn’t one proactive solution. Killyleagh cannot wait until 2032 and I can’t really take it on myself, I am only one citizen.”
He believes the problem stems from back in the early 2000s, when it was decided to pump wastewater from Crossgar to Killyleagh to be treated.
He continued that he believed the issues now presenting in Killyleagh should be a “priority”.
“I want Newry, Mourne and Down District Council to raise severe concerns with the DfI over the sewage quality in Killyleagh,” Mr Kilpatrick said.
“It’s about the best I can hope for because it puts official council concerns onto paper.”
He continued: “They (DfI) have stated that NI Water requires £9m in investment. If the Rowallane councillors can back a bridge proposed for Strangford that will cost £300m, then £9m in their own constituency for their own people who give them the votes – they won’t get votes from Strangford – I think they should be focusing their priorities here.”
He added: “I’m trying to explain that in 10 years your kids won’t have a house here. In 10 years you won’t be able to go swimming at the end of the quay. In ten years there won’t be any fish to catch.”
In his open letter, Mr Kilpatrick has asked Rowallane councillors to step forward and table a notice of motion to “formally challenge the DfI’s current funding model and direct the council to immediately request a fast-tracked, comprehensive and accurate assessment of Killyleagh’s failing wastewater assets to secure emergency capital investment”.
