Work begins on easing sewage problem

David Simpson MP and Cllr Junior McCrum were on site at Willow Avenue where work has started on the new sewerage pipes © Edward Byrne Photography INBL28-242EB

There has been an ongoing issue in the estate which has seen sewage rise out of the drains when there has been a prolonged rainfall.

But, following pressure from the DUP, work finally got underway to fix the problem last week.

Councillor Junior McCrum, who had been working on the problem, said that residents were pleased that work had begun.

“This issue first arose three years ago and since then myself and my party have been working with Northern Ireland Water to try and find an appropriate resolution to the problem,” he said.

“As well as there being a horrible smell with the sewage the residents were also concerned about the bacteria and germs which were coming into the street.

“We encouraged NI Water to investigate the situation and it was discovered that half of the estate was having their sewage dealt with by an eight-inch pipe and while the other half only had a four-inch pipe, meaning it could only deal with half as much waste and therefore it was causing blockages.

“We pushed NI Water hard to find the money to fix  the problem and thankfully they began work last Monday to replace the smaller  pipe.”

Councillor McCrum hoped that this resolution would help put residents at ease and bring some normality back to the estate.

“Some of them still have sandbags up to stop sewage getting into their homes, but hopefully this will get it sorted out,” he added.