Islanders’ appeal for less secrecy over Seil sewage proposals

SEIL islanders are asking Scottish Water (SW) to be less secretive about its sewage plans.

A member of the eight-strong local stakeholder group, Anne Marie Robin, told fellow Seil community councillors last Tuesday it was working hard with SW to achieve a ‘fit-for-purpose treatment plant that does not damage the amenity of the island or its people, or pollute the marine environment’.

SW proposed three options in January to replace its leaking £11m Clachan Seil Waste Water Works. The group unanimously chose option 1A, which would replace it with a septic tank/submerged aerated filter/ UV in the valley running up from Balvicar to the Ardencaple Road, ‘hidden, secluded, and well away from houses’.

‘The outfall pipe in [ Balvicar] bay will remain in use,’ Ms Robin continued, with a standalone septic tank installed for eight houses at Seaview. ‘Although we regret not being able to share much of the negotiations to date, we would appreciate support and trust from the meeting in our promotion of this option.’

The meeting also heard ‘it is going to cost £4m, or thereby’.

One resident said he was happy to endorse the committee, if he could view all three options. Councillor Elaine Robertson agreed: ‘I would not expect anyone to endorse any- thing they do not know about. They are not giving enough information. It is putting the stakeholders into a very difficult position.’

Another resident said: ‘The stakeholder group has been very unhappy with this requirement of secrecy. It is from SW that we are told not to give full details.’

Councillors resolved to raise these concerns with SW at the next stakeholder meeting on Monday April 24.