River Braid, Ballymena, photographed by a local fisherman.
The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) is investigating after receiving a report of fuel pollution in the Braid River, Ballymena over the weekend.
A fisherman who visited the river on Sunday (30 July) reported that the water had been polluted with what he believes was diesel. The local man photographed the murky stretch in the area of the Ecos Nature Park.
Following the report, officers from the NIEA visited the area to investigate. A DAERA spokesperson said:
"On 30 July 2023 at 20:00hrs, NIEA received a report of fuel in the Braid River at Ballymena. The report, from a member of the public, indicated that the fuel was observed in the stretch of river alongside the ECOS Centre.
"From the evidence available, the incident was assessed as being of Low Severity environmental impact and an NIEA Water Quality Inspector was deployed to the area the following morning to investigate.
"No fuel was noted in the river at the time of investigation and the river was observed to be in flood conditions at that time, with tributaries and local storm drains flooded.
"With water levels receding since the original investigation, and tributaries and local storm drains freely discharging to the river again, a follow up assessment is currently being carried out to identify any potential sources of pollution."