The residents of a housing estate in Garrison are once again having to deal with issues around sewage.

Ravensbrae residents have had to deal with problems with the pumping station in the estate, with no-one currently taking responsibility for it.

As reported in The Impartial Reporter in 2021, the station had not been adopted by NI Water.

There are disputes as to whether the developer or a management company set up for the development has responsibility for it.

Because of this stalemate NI Water has no responsibility to maintain the private sewerage infrastructure and have confirmed they will not be in a position to do so in the future.

The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) were contacted about the most recent issue.

A DfI spokesperson said: The Department was not aware of the recent issues around sewage spilling onto the roads at Ravens Brae, Garrison.

“Ravens Brae in Garrison is a development where the sewerage infrastructure is privately owned. NI Water has no responsibility to maintain private sewerage infrastructure.

“As a goodwill gesture, NI Water has in the past emptied the unadopted tank, but is not in a position to do so, going forward.”

Last week, sewage spilled on to the road at Ravensbrae in the latest issue for the residents of the area.

Sinn Féin MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, Jemma Dolan, said she has been working to try and get the situation resolved but nothing has come of it.

“I have been working with the residents of Ravensbrae for a long number of years trying to get this horrid situation resolved.

“On February 3, 2021, I brought a petition to the then Department for Infrastructure Minister, but to no avail,” said Miss Dolan.

“[More recently] I have contacted NI Water on a number of occasions asking them to empty the sewerage, as I know Councillor Anthony Feely [SF] has too, but as of yet, to no avail.

“It is a disgrace that people put their hard-earned money into buying a house [and] they are left with this burden.”

Miss Dolan added: “In Fermanagh, our waterways are one of our unique selling points for tourism and fishing, yet this sewage is allowed to seep into Lough Melvin, causing pollution and all sorts of harm to our fishing community.

“I understand the severe budgeting constraints that all Departments are under, but I am pleading with NI Water and the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to at least maintain this waste water treatment plant until it is brought to an adoptable standard.”