'Rank' tap water in south Derry 'tastes like dirt', Stormont told

Tap water in one area of NI is "rotten", "rank" and "tastes like dirt", MLAs at Stormont have been told.

Concerns about drinking water in the south Derry area were raised in the Assembly on Monday by the Sinn Fein MLA Emma Sheerin, who said she can "see, smell and taste it" when she turns on her tap at home.

This comes despite "assurances" that the water is safe to drink from NI Water.

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The issue of foul tasting or foul smelling water in the south Derry area was always raised at Stormont on Monday by the SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone.

Mr McGlone urged the Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd to give an update on measures to resolve the problem in light of reports of "public concern regarding the taste and odour of the public water supply".

Emma Sheerin, meanwhile, said "hundreds of constituents" had raised the issue with her over the past week or two.

"Some of the words that have been used to describe our tap water in south Derry include 'musty', 'very stale', 'not drinkable', 'rotten', 'rank', 'it tastes like dirt' and 'it tastes like blue mould'," she told the Assembly chamber.

"I have not had to rely on the words of my constituents to tell me what the water is like because when I turn on a tap in my house, I can see, smell and taste it for myself."

She continued: "Over the past fortnight, I have been in constant contact with NI Water about the situation. I have contacted NI Water on an almost hourly basis, reflecting the requests, concerns and worries of my constituents. I accept its assurances that the water is safe to drink, but the fact and reality of the situation is that the water is not drinkable. The problem is not one of recent making; it is the result of decades of underinvestment, and it is a good reflection of the importance of the prioritisation of the AERA Minister's action plan for Lough Neagh and the fact that we all need to work together to solve the current crisis at Lough Neagh."

She added: "I call upon NI Water to act as urgently as it can on the requests of my constituents. Different constituents have reflected to me that their requests for individual water testing have not been met as promised. I put to the House how seriously we feel about this crisis because water is a basic human right. When we make a cup of tea, we expect it to taste like tea and not like blue mould."

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