NIEA's duties under the Water Abstraction and Impoundment (Licensing) Regulations (NI) 2006

Summary

Action taken follow receipt of complaints alleging that NIEA are failing to effectively regulate water abstraction from the River Crumlin in accordance with its statutory duties, highlighting specific failures to determine a water abstraction application submitted in 2007. 

Outcomes and additional information

Whilst this complaint focussed on one specific location, our assessment of available information highlighted a more widespread issue with a number of abstractions and impoundment applications having not been determined by the NIEA over a significant period of time.

NIEA complied with our initial request for an action plan, and have continued to provide us with updates at agreed intervals detailing how they plan to fully determine the outstanding deemed consents and ensure ongoing compliance in future. We will continue to monitor progress against this plan.