I rise to raise an issue that has been brought to me by hundreds of my constituents over the past fortnight. Some of the words that have been used to describe our tap water in south Derry include "musty", "very stale", "not drinkable", "rotten", "rank", "it tastes like dirt" and "it tastes like blue mould". I have not had to rely on the words of my constituents to tell me what the water is like because when I turn on a tap in my house, I can see, smell and taste it for myself.

Over the past fortnight, I have been in constant contact with NI Water about the situation. I have contacted NI Water on an almost hourly basis, reflecting the requests, concerns and worries of my constituents. I accept its assurances that the water is safe to drink, but the fact and reality of the situation is that the water is not drinkable. The problem is not one of recent making; it is the result of decades of underinvestment, and it is a good reflection of the importance of the prioritisation of the AERA Minister's action plan for Lough Neagh and the fact that we all need to work together to solve the current crisis at Lough Neagh.

I call upon NI Water to act as urgently as it can on the requests of my constituents. Different constituents have reflected to me that their requests for individual water testing have not been met as promised. I put to the House how seriously we feel about this crisis because water is a basic human right. When we make a cup of tea, we expect it to taste like tea and not like blue mould.