Over £27 million is to be invested in water and sewerage infrastructure in and around Derry City over the next six years.
The commitment was made in a letter from the Infrastructure Minister to Foyle MLA Sinead McLaughlin, who wrote to the minister seeking action on unpleasant sewage smells in the city, in particular close to the Craigavon Bridge.
In a letter to Ms Mclaughlin, Infrastructure Minister Nicola Mallon says NI Water has identified a number of potential causes for this particular issue.
She says it could be the result of odours from discharge to a manhole near Craigavon Bridge, or it could be caused by the cumulative effect of wastewater pumping stations in the area discharging at the Bridge.
In order to fully investigate this problem, NI Water has advised that its Networks Sewerage Team has requested that odour loggers, currently booked for other investigations, are redirected and deployed at Craigavon Bridge as soon as possible.
The minister says at present, NI Water is planning to invest approximately £27.5m in a number of projects in the Foyle constituency area during the period 2021-2026, subject to funding from the exchequer.
