You're quacking up if you think this is home
Dunmurry ducks settle down in Wastewater Treatment Works
by STACEY HEANEY
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The duck family in their 'quacking' home at Dunmurry Wastewater Treatment Works. |
Rescuers Nicky Hill and Frank Quinn with the lucky duckling |
'TOILET duck' has a very different meaning at NI Water's Dunmurry Wastewater Treatment Works, which is currently home to a family of ducks living in the final effluent tank.
The Works, which is currently undergoing a £5 million upgrade, was previously home to two families of ducks. however one of the families has relocated to the nearby Glen River.
But the remaining family have buiite their home in the final effluent tank, highlighting, staff say, the quality and purity of the water after treatment before release into the River Lagan.
With the Treatment Works currently under construction, one of the ducklings living in the Glen River had a narrow escape when it got stuck in a tank which was due for demolition.
Rescuers Nicky Hill and Frank Quinn explained: "We were about to demolish an old disused tank when we discovered the duckling trapped inside. Given our previous experiences of rescuing wildlife including swans and buzzards, we knew we had to try to rescue this duckling which couldn't even fly yet. We managed to get it out and return it to its family at the Glen River.
"The family of ducks around the works are like colleagues now, you see them everyday and they are actually helping us by eating the algae which forms in the last treatment process before the final effluent is discharged in the River Lagan. We just hope the construction work doesn't scare them away."
This duckling isn't the only wildlife the guys have rescued. In the past, they have helped an injured buzzard, numerous swans and in a Treatment Works in Holywood, they rescued a seal and a small dolphin!
stacey.heaney@ulsterstar.co.uk
Ulster Star
10/09/2010
