NI Water plan to dig a tunnel under the A2 Bangor to Belfast road to divert sewage flows from the Kinnegar Lagoons to the Treatment Works and repair the damage already done, which results in an awful odour on a regular basis.
Councillor Andrew Muir said: “Following exhaustive surveys which involved boat trips and soil samples taken from Kinnegar Lagoons, the precise cause has been confirmed as raw sewage being pumped into Kinnegar Lagoons with the residual waste remaining causing malodour during inclement weather or when tide levels are low.
“Diverting sewage from into the Treatment Works will cost over £3million and require new pipes and a tunnel under the Bangor to Belfast Road and Railway Line.
“In order to minimise any disruption, advance planning has now commenced and access to relevant areas is being requested. Once everything is in place work will take 12 to 15 months.
“I have been assured by NI Water that local residents will be consulted and kept informed on an on-going basis to address concerns and reduce any inconvenience caused. If all goes to plan a contractor should be ready to start work in August 2013. Once the new set-up is in place the focus will then turn to how to repair the polluted reed beds and ensure the sewage remaining does not continue to damage the environment nor cause any more bad smells.”
Councillor Andrew Muir added: “My relentless campaign to end the Kinnegar sewage pollution problem will not end until the pollution stops, smell eliminated and environment returned to its original state.
“Getting NI Water to acknowledge the problem and commit over £3million to a solution was an important first step. I look forward to seeing real action on the ground later this year. Local residents, businesses, visitors and commuters have suffered enough.”