Concern over pollution threat posed to Lough Melvin water supply

Manorhamilton Municipal District Councillors have expressed dismay over the risks to public water supplies and fish species in Lough Melvin after reports that untreated sewage was running into the lake's tributary from an unfinished housing estate in Garrison, Co Fermanagh.
Cllr Justin Warnock highlighted the issue noting that Lough Melvin was used as a public water supply for “thousands of homes in the South”.
“I recently received photos and a video from residents on the Loughside Road, Garrison, Co Fermanagh of raw sewage on the road from an unfinished development which ends up in Lough Melvin Special Area of Conservation as it is only metres away,” he told the meeting.
In the photos, seen by the Leitrim Observer the untreated sewage can be seen flowing across a roadway.
Cllr Justin Warnock said that the situation was “very worrying” adding that local anglers had been working to secure funding to improve water quality in Lough Melvin.
“The Melvin is the home of the Arctic char, which is now one of the rarest fish species in Ireland and is only found in a small number of upland, post-glacial lakes,” he said.
“This sort of pollution is unacceptable and I ask Leitrim County Council to contact Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Northern Ireland Water and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs about this unacceptable situation,” he said.
Cllr Mary Bohan backed his call noting that she had also been contacted by a resident of Garrison about the situation.
“This sewage is entering a stream which flows into Lough Melvin,” she said.
“I would ask Leitrim County Council to put pressure on the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council to address this.
“The sewage pumping plant at this unfinished housing estate must not be able to take the amount of sewage (coming from this estate).”
Other councillors expressed their concern at the situation and the potential risk to endangered species and to the public water supply coming from this lake.
They unanimously backed the call to contact the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council about this pollution as a matter of urgency.