The Rivers Trust supports the findings of new report that rings alarm bells about the critical state of water quality management in Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

The Surfers Against Sewage Water Quality Report for 2023 says that in Northern Ireland, there is a lack of the discharge of raw sewage into waters at popular beaches and inland waterways bathing sites — and both anecdotal reports and water quality data suggest the problem is significant.

Mark Horton, all-Ireland director of The Rivers Trust said the report “underscores longstanding environmental concerns we continually raise. The evidence of the effects of sewage and pollution is there and clear.

“The severe algal bloom in Lough Neagh is a stark illustration of the consequences of poor environmental stewardship in Northern Ireland.”

NI’s 2,398 operational sewage overflows — and the sparse data on their performance — emphasise an urgent need for investment in increased monitoring and more transparency so the public can make informed decisions and remedial actions can be taken, The Rivers Trust says.

Horton added: “The management of sewage in Northern Ireland shows a critical need for investment and modernisation. With the absence of a functioning Stormont Executive and no independent environment agency, decisive actions to protect and restore water quality are practically impossible.

“This inaction is unacceptable. Water users in Northern Ireland deserve the same level of safety and information as those elsewhere. Ultimately, we need proper resourcing of Northern Ireland Water to enable it to put in place real-time sewage alerts, so swimmers, surfers and anglers can protect themselves from direct discharges of untreated sewage.”

Horton acknowledged NI water’s plans to deploy monitoring systems by 2024 as “a positive step”, but cautioned that “the lack of clarity on how data will be dissemination and public accessibility to the data remains a concern”.

“Real-time, accessible water quality information isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a necessity for the health and safety of our communities and ecosystems,” he said.

The Rivers Trust is calling for a complete ban in Ireland on the manufacture, sale, distribution or free offer of single-use disposable vaping devices.

Responding to the recent public consultation on disposable vaping devices, the river conservation charity wants single-use plastic vapes removed from sale because of their increasing pollution impact on inland waterways and the marine environment.

Dr Constanze O’Toole, Ireland development manager for The Rivers Trust said: “Disposable vapes containing plastic, electronics, chemicals and lithium-ion batteries are increasingly leaching harmful waste materials such as mercury and cadmium into our rivers and waterways, which is posing a threat to human health and nature’s biodiversity.

“The prevalence of disposable vapes as a source of litter pollution in Ireland is staggering, with nearly 12.5 million vapes estimated to have been sold last year alone.

“The return and recycle rate for disposable vapes is exceptionally low and the message that they must be recycled is not cutting through to the public. Unfortunately, the improper disposal of these vapes, often due to confusion among consumers on recycling methods, results in a major source of chemical and plastic pollution in our rivers.

“That is why we are calling on Minister Ryan to now ban the manufacture, sale, and distribution of single-use disposable vaping devices in Ireland. The current use of such vapes is not compliant with Ireland’s commitments to The Circular Economy Act or the EU Directive on Single-Use Plastics.”

O’Toole emphasised the risks that disposable vapes pose to aquatic life: “Birds, animals, and fish are at risk of ingesting plastic fragments and toxic chemicals, disrupting the delicate balance of our ecosystems. This not only affects aquatic animal, insect and plant species but also poses risks to humans who rely on these waterways for drinking water abstraction and recreational activities.”

She added that The Rivers Trust “firmly believes that a comprehensive ban on single-use disposable vapes is a necessary step towards preserving the health of our waterways.

“By reducing the amount of non-biodegradable waste entering rivers and marine environments, we can mitigate the environmental damage caused by these items. Moreover, such a ban will serve as an opportunity to raise public awareness about the proper disposal of vapes, it also reinforces understanding of the vulnerability of our rivers and the need for all of us to protect them.”