Northern Ireland Water issues 'devastating' for houses in rural areas

People from rural communities and businesses say areas are being left "devastated" as the company that oversees Northern Ireland's wastewater network admits it is at "breaking point". This means that in parts of Northern Ireland new houses cannot be built and businesses are unable to expand. One man told BBC News NI he cannot move back to the area where he grew up due to a lack of houses, adding it was "extremely frustrating". NI Water (NIW) acknowledged that the wastewater system "cannot cope during heavy rainfall" and that without further funding and urgent change there would be "persistent and worsening pollution". New figures obtained by BBC News NI show that by the end of last year, NIW estimated that more than 50,000 properties across Northern Ireland wanted to connect to the wastewater system. However, almost 20,000 were unable to due to a lack of upgrades and the risk of environmental pollution. Ciaran Devlin's family have lived in the Loup area for more than 100 years - this rural village lies near Magherafelt, on the western shores of Lough Neagh. But he is unable to move back there due to a lack of houses and the availability of a proper water infrastructure to connect n

Mar 22, 2026 → Apr 9, 2026