Anger as sewage dumped into our rivers and lochs 59 times A DAY
SEWAGE was dumped in Scottish rivers and lochs 59 times a day last year, ‘disgusting’ new figures have revealed.
Scottish Water statistics show 21,660 discharges were logged in 2023 – equivalent to 59 times a day – a 10 per cent increase from 19,676 the previous year.
The duration of the overflows was also published, with sewage spills totalling 221,002 hours across the whole year.
Scottish Water said the increased number of overflows was because of higher rainfall.
Raw sewage is diverted into rivers, lochs and seas during heavy rain to stop treatment works being overwhelmed. Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: ‘It is disgusting to learn sewage is dumped in our waterways 59 times a day.
‘Even that figure is likely to be a significant underestimate as only a small fraction of overflows are monitored. Scotland is way behind England, where nearly every overflow is monitored.
‘To make matters worse, while our rivers, lochs and coastlines are destroyed, customers are facing huge price rises from the government-owned water company and its executives are pocketing bumper bonuses.
‘SNP and Green ministers must stop being spin doctors for these outdated sewage standards and clamp down on discharges.’
Scottish Water director Professor Simon Parsons said 87 per cent of the country’s water bodies are rated good or better.
He added: ‘We continue to invest in infrastructure which helps improve this further.
‘Our 2021 routemap set out a commitment to invest further, monitor performance at more locations and strive to prevent pollution incidents before these happen. We are on track to deliver on those commitments.’ The Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Scottish Government were asked for comment.
Figures out yesterday also revealed record levels of sewage were dumped into rivers in England and Wales last year.
Raw sewage poured out of pipes for 3.6million hours – more than double the previous year.
Environment Agency director Helen Wakeham said the system ‘might take 25 years’ to fix and added: ‘It just shows the scale of storm overflow in a wet year.’
Campaigner Feargal Sharkey said: ‘To apologise for the water industry because it rained is the most outrageous statement I’ve heard a regulator say. It indicates why we’re in the mess we’re in.’
‘Clamp down on discharges’