Pressure on the water infrastructure in Northern Ireland is so severe that some homeowners are paying to install their own septic tanks, MLAs have been told.
Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie made the remark as he asked Communities Minister Gordon Lyons to outline what impact financial challenges faced by Northern Ireland Water would have on the future supply of social housing in the region.
The company that runs the region’s water and wastewater services has been described as chronically underfunded.
Last month a report by the Audit Office said NI Water has struggled to secure adequate funding for infrastructure upgrades since it was established in 2007.
It recommended a comprehensive expert review of how NI Water is funded and governed.
Mr Lyons told the Assembly that the impact of capacity restrictions on water and sewage infrastructure is a “significant one”.
He said: “In the event of a confirmed and significant reduction in capital budget allocation for Northern Ireland Water over the coming years, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive has been advised it is their understanding that existing housing developments which are under construction should generally still be permitted to connect to the Northern Ireland Water network at completion stage.
“From the 24/25 programme year onwards, it is my understanding that any reduction in the Northern Ireland Water capital budget will have a knock-on impact on the timetable for planned upgrade works over the coming years.
“Whilst this will not necessarily preclude new social housing developments from being approved and developed, it will mean that the current position whereby the majority of new developments require a site-specific Northern Ireland Water engineering solution in order to progress will continue for a longer period.”
Mr Beattie said: “There are already some areas that are at capacity with owners having now to install their own septic tanks.
“This is increasing the cost of social housing.”
SDLP MLA Mark Durkan asked the minister what collaboration he had with other ministers over the pressure on the delivery of social housing.
Mr Lyons said: “I will be bringing a housing supply strategy to the Executive soon because I recognise this is not just an issue for one department to tackle.
“We will need to have cross-party, cross-departmental working and I believe I will be able to get that housing supply strategy to the Executive so we can get that buy-in and address those issues.”
