Scottish Water Fail to Repair the Sewage Leak on Broughty Ferry Beach

The Photo Evidence of the Original Sewage Leak

On Wednesday morning I was informed by a reporter from the Evening Telegraph that the sewage leak on the beach in Broughty Ferry which I had first identified on 2nd October had been repaired. I had reported to Scottish Water by email and with photos that I could see foul water leaking out of the side of the concrete mound that apparently protects an inspection hatch.

This leak was is the main sewer pipeline which runs under the beach just west of of where the raised coastal pathway joins Douglas Terrace.  I also reported that the action of the sea had clearly undermined part of the structure. I requested that Scottish Water organise an urgent and comprehensive response.

Imagine my disappointment, when I went to check this out myself at midday on Wednesday, and I found that the leak had not been stopped. There was evidence indeed of an attempt to fix the leak but it appeared to be a quick and rather bodged job. There were tracks on the beach from a digger and some pebbles and stones that had clearly been shifted as well as concrete which appeared to have had been poured near the source of the visible leak. In view of the apparent lack of any protective shuttering of the concrete laid or poured it had already been shifted by the rising tide. Furthermore there had been no proper attempt to remove the sea weed that covers the visible structure so that a comprehensive inspection of the leaking structure could take place. 

I have complained to Scottish Water that this is just not good enough. Council tax payers in The Ferry ward will wonder what their Water Charge pays for if not for the provision of adequate and well maintained drainage and sewerage.

I think Scottish Water need to live up to their public statement that:

'Our job is to bring clearer, fresher drinking water to your tap, we supply 2.3 billion litres of drinking water per day and remove nearly a billion litres of waste water daily – treating it carefully before returning it to the environment.'

This is clearly NOT a job where I shall be nominating a Scottish Water employee for a GEM Award, Going the Extra Mile. 

I have also copied my latest report to Scottish Water to the Director of the City Council's Environment Department. This is because the Council's Environmental Health Officers may need to suspend the harvesting of shell fish from the beach and warn folk to stay away from this section of the beach while the sewage leak persists.