Increase in sewage spills across Scotland labelled a ‘scandal’

THE number of spills of sewage into Scottish waterways increased across 20 local authority areas in a year, new figures show.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats have accused the Scottish Government of “not lifting a finger” to deal with the issues in rivers, coastlines and lochs.

The party’s analysis of official Scottish Water data showed just nine council areas did not record an increase in spills between 2022 and 2023.

Fife experienced the biggest percentage increase – 244.1% – with spills increasing from 213 to 733 in a year.

Meanwhile, spills in Moray increased by 117.5% from 40 to 87.

However, the true scale of the figures cannot be fully known as monitoring does not take place in Dundee, East Dunbartonshire and Edinburgh.

Additionally, in 10 authorities, just one or two sites were recorded.

The analysis also found in South Lanarkshire that sewage was dumped a total of 3,111 times, lasting 27,682 hours in 2023, while Dumfries and Galloway had 2,397 spills lasting 24,682 hours.

Figures previously released by Scottish Water showed that a total of 21,660 discharges were logged across the country in 2023.

This was up 10% from 19,676 in the previous year.

Scottish Water has said that it is committed to installing monitors on every combined sewer overflow by 2024.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-hamilton said: “Communities across Scotland will be alarmed by such big up-ticks in sewage dumps.

“SNP and Green ministers haven’t lifted a finger to address this scandal. Instead, they sit idle while our rivers, coastlines and waterways take a battering.”

Mr Cole-hamilton added: “The true scale of the problem is likely a lot worse because very few sewage pipes are properly monitored.

“While ministers hide the dirtier reality, the government-owned water company is hiking its prices for customers and rewarding its executives with bumper bonuses.”

Mr Cole-hamilton went on to demand ministers to “clamp down” on discharges.

His party wants to see a Clean Water Act implemented which would upgrade the sewage network and ensure all spills were recorded and published with binding targets to reduce them.

Professor Simon Parsons, director of environment, planning and assurance at Scottish Water, said 87% of waterbodies were rated good or better and said the increase in overflows was because of higher rainfall.

Prof Parsons said: “Around 99% of these overflows is rainwater, surface water, road run-off, grey water, infiltration of groundwater and trade effluent.

“More than half of the overflows we report are at locations (settled storm sewer overflows/sssos) where there has been treatment of the flows, such as primary settlement and screening.

“We recognise releasing waste water, even occasionally, into Scotland’s rivers and seas is a concern to people and we are playing our part in fully informing the public, as well as improving infrastructure, alongside our regulator Sepa.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “It is important to note that overflows from sewers are wastewater which has been highly diluted by rainwater, and which normally consists of less than 1% toilet waste.

“Sepa assesses 87% of water-bodies in Scotland as having ‘high’ or ‘good’ water quality, up from 82% six years ago.

“This means our rivers and coastal waters are overall in good ecological condition, but we are not complacent, and continue to work closely with Sepa and Scottish Water to monitor and improve water quality.

“Scottish Water is taking action and is committing up to £500 million to improve water quality, increase monitoring of the highest priority waters and tackle debris and spills.

“This includes a commitment to install at least 1000 new monitors on the network by the end of 2024 – good progress is being made, with around

800 having already been installed by the end of March.”

The spokesman added: “Scottish Water is also working with Sepa to identify and develop solutions for 108 high priority overflows impacting water quality or causing sewage related debris problems.”

While ministers hide the dirtier reality, the water company is hiking prices and rewarding its executives with bonuses