7m tonnes of raw sewage a year discharged into Northern Irish rivers

Assembly member urges 2bn boost for sewage infrastructure as report reveals poor health of waterways

More than 7m tonnes of raw sewage are being discharged into Northern Ireland's seas and rivers each year, it has been revealed, and every recorded waterway in the country has been found to be in poor health.

Upwards of 3m tonnes of untreated human waste was found to have been released across the Belfast metropolitan area, in which more than a third of Northern Ireland's population resides.