£10mto savebeach
Bid to to turn the tide over dirty water concerns
A total of £10 million is to be forked out to save Ayr beach.
A massive clean-up operation is bidding to stop ‘keep out’ signs going up at the site. It follows four consecutive years of ‘poor’ quality ratings for Ayr’s water.
A fifth later this year would see the public being advised to steer clear of the sea.
Scottish Water’s Simon Parsons said: “We understand how important it is for us to play our part to ensure the best possible water quality is achieved.”
Environmental bosses are throwing £10 million at saving Ayr beach.
A massive clean-up operation is bidding to stop ‘keep out’ signs going up at one of Scotland’s busiest bathing sites.
It follows four consecutive years of ‘poor’ quality ratings for Ayr’s water.
A fifth later this year would see residents and tourists advised to steer clear of the sea.
And it’s feared that could spell potential disaster for the town’s economy.
Scottish Water chiefs have plunged multi-millions into a project aimed at turning the tide.
Additional waste water storage is being installed to reduce the volume of spills across the area.
And work, supported by SEPA, is taking place at Belleisle, Drongan and Mauchline to ensure more waste water can be stored and treated before release after storm conditions.
Upgrades to the sewer network are also underway with licensing for temporary treatment systems.
Bosses are also studying a longer term proposal which could see private septic tanks connected to the mains sewer network.
Simon Parsons, Scottish Water’s Director of Strategic Customer Service Planning, said: “We have worked closely with SEPA and South Ayrshire Council to advance £10m of investment in our waste water infrastructure that serves the area. This includes the installation of more storm storage and improved treatment capability at a number of our sites. We understand how important it is for us to play our part to ensure the best possible water quality is achieved.”
Terry A’Hearn, chief executive of SEPA, said: “We know that Ayr (South Beach) is subject to a number of complex challenges, and that other local watercourses which feed into it receive bacterial input from a number of sources.
“That’s why we’re leading efforts to improve local watercourses, including through engagement with the farming community, which is yielding impressive results.”
SEPA said that strong engagement has taken place with local farmers in a bid to ensure their “practices are not affecting watercourses”.
South Ayrshire Council’s environment spokesman, councillor Ian Cochrane, added: “I welcome the work undertaken by both SEPA and Scottish Water to improve the water quality at Ayr (South Beach).
“Their efforts are very timely as we look to welcome thousands of people back to our beaches this summer. We will continue to support both SEPA and Scottish Water in their work, to ensure all our beaches offer the best experience possible.”