Poots announces £220,000 investment in environmental water quality projects

Eleven local environmental water quality projects have benefitted from a £220,000 fund, that aims to protect our waterways and surrounding ecosystems, Edwin Poots MLA has announced.

Photo caption Minister Poots is pictured with Chairman of Six Mile Trust, Jim Gregg.

The not-for-profit organisations and Councils, will receive grants of between £5,000 and £30,000 from The Water Quality Improvement Strand of the Environment Fund for 2021- 2022. The fund aims to deliver on water quality priorities across Northern Ireland, preventing deterioration and enhancing the status of aquatic ecosystems. 

Environment Minister Edwin Poots MLA made the announcement during a visit to one of the successful recipients, Six Mile Trust in Antrim. The Minister said: “Groups such as the Six Mile Trust are an invaluable component of our plans to improve water quality. I’ve seen today first-hand how far an investment of £13,000 from this initiative can go towards improving the environment with regards to projects like this. The Trust works tirelessly and passionately to ensure the water quality in the Six Mile Water improves."

The Minister continued: “The Trust monitors water quality, participates in pollution prevention and is well placed to build relationships within the catchment to bring about schemes such as this. Such groups are the eyes and ears of the river bank and pick up on issues and opportunities to improve water quality. A close working relationship with my Department is of mutual benefit, as we both strive to improve water quality in the Six Mile Water and Northern Ireland as a whole.”

Concluding, Minister Poots said, “Since I became DAERA Minister, I have seen the value of the daily work carried out by groups like this and welcome both the level of partnership-working and the enthusiasm of volunteers. I can’t praise them enough for their conservation efforts.”

Notes to editors: 

1. The projects being funded in 2021 – 2022 include six projects building on the great work funded by previous editions of the Water Quality Improvement Grant.

Successful recipients of the grants are list below.

Six Mile Water Trust

River restoration of bank, habitat and fencing project on the Six Mile Water.

Ballinderry Rivers Trust

Naturally Clean - Nature-based on-farm grey water management system.

Sea2it

Community Skills to Tackle Pollution on the Bann Estuary.

Altikeeragh Bog, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council

Hydrological Restoration Plan - Altikeeragh Bog

Creggan Country Park

Restoring the Res Phase 2

Friends of the Folly

River bank and habitat restoration project, Ballynahone River (Folly Glen)

Glenavy Anglers

Love our water - Love our Fish Project Phase II

Newry and Mourne and Down District Council

Water Resource Management Programme for the Ring of Gullion

Lagan Rivers Trust

River restoration project on the River Lagan

Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council

Water Quality Improvement feasibility and ecological studies for various Council sites

Dromore and District Angling Club

River Habitat Improvement River Lagan

2. The Water Quality Improvement strand of the Environmental Challenge Fund competition seeks to fund projects aiming to bring about improvements in water quality in our rivers, lakes, groundwater and coastal waters; or to raise public awareness of the value of good water quality and how to improve it. The fund is aimed at local communities and voluntary organisations to run small projects to bring about improvements in their local water environment. The fund will support up to 85% of the total project cost, with the maximum of grant aid awarded to a single project limited to £30k or less.  

3. Follow DAERA on twitter and Facebook.

4. All media queries should be directed to the DAERA Press Office

5. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.​​​

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