Further damage to the Woodburn Reservoirs, Carrickfergus, over the Easter holidays has resulted in NI Water taking steps to close access to some of its sites.

Last month the water company warned that it could be left with no choice but to close some reservoir sites after recent scrambler damage compromised the health and safety of the dams.

The warning came after scrambler damage was reported at Woodburn, Seagahan and Stoneyford reservoirs.

The grassland around the reservoirs had previously been badly damaged and NI Water had expressed concern with heavy rain it could well start to see erosion which could impact the structural integrity of the dam. The reservoir safety teams have therefore been carefully monitoring for early signs of erosion, warning that any further damage will only accelerate the issue. This could result in the need to drain the reservoirs concerned until repairs are completed.

Commenting on the latest damage, Gary Presho, NI Water Area Manager said:

“The situation has now escalated to a point where its simply too dangerous to allow all of the activities once planned for the area to go ahead. The selfish actions of a few reckless scrambler owners are ruining the enjoyment of the Reservoirs for everyone. The recent damage is compromising the safety of the structure of the dams. The integrity of the Reservoirs must be our first priority, so it is with regret that we must now implement restrictions to access these sites.”