Group Environmental Health Committees


Group Environmental Health Committees/Belfast City Council

The agency arrangements for the Group Environmental Health and Belfast City Council field staff were established in 1973. Originally nine qualified Environmental Health Rivers Officers (EHROs) were employed.

Today the same basic structure and arrangements are still in place except that staff numbers employed have increased and the background of the staff has changed to a scientific one rather than environmental health. These staff are known as Water Quality Inspectors (WQIs).

We employ Water Quality Inspectors (WQIs) to carry out work on our behalf. They are tasked directly by NIEA staff in line with an overarching Forward Work Programme. The main activities of the EHROs / WQIs are to:

• Investigate reports of pollution of a non agricultural nature and collate evidence of pollution offences

• Make advisory visits to industry and issue pollution prevention advice

• Take effluent samples from consented discharge points for industrial consent monitoring

• Monitor Sewage Treatment Works

• Provide advice on Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (links to Office of Public Sector Information website)Opens in new window. industrial and domestic consent applications

• Initiate and supervise clean-up work following water pollution incidents.