A quarter of water pollution incidents in 2022 were linked to agriculture and one in eight to the operations of Northern Ireland Water, according to a new report.
The NI Audit Office report found that water quality in rivers and lakes has not improved since 2015.
It also said that a 2027 EU target for standards will be missed.
The auditor general said funding deficits were “likely to have impacted” water quality, with more work required.
Lough Neagh could be NI’s biggest tourist attraction and leisure resource, but it’s been turned into something so toxic you literally can’t walk your dogs near it for fear of them being poisoned by algae. It’d dissolve the fucking Terminator it’s so bad. And it’s being turned into a political issue. Instead of just using science to find the cause, and introducing strict environmental guidelines, the farmers union are protesting ‘it wasn’t us’ and the DUP (never the biggest friends of science) have been involved. Lough Neagh isn’t even publicly owned, it’s privately owned by The Earl of Shaftesbury who appears happy enough to let it turn into a toxic dump, but might sell it if he gets enough money. I live about 5 miles away from it, and it could be a magical place to have close by, it’s so fucking frustrating.