Foul Water Leak on the Stony Beach in Broughty Ferry

On Thursday evening it was brought to my attention that there was a leak of foul water on the Stony Beach in Broughty Ferry.

At low tide the foul water could be seem flowing down the beach immediately beside the outfall pipe just below Douglas Terrace.

I have reported this to Scottish Water. 

This appears to be a recurrence of a more serious leak at the same location which I reported in August 2013.

Link to posting about previous leak: Following My Complaints, Scottish Water Respond to Leaks from the Sewers on Broughty Ferry Stony Beach

Sewer Leak on Stony Beach in The Ferry to be Repaired Permanently and Beach Reinstated

Click on map to enlarge

Since 2011, I have been passing on complaints to Scottish Water about recurring leaks to the manhole on the stony beach close to the end of the coastal pathway at Douglas Terrace - see map. 

On Friday 25 April, I was informed by Scottish Water that a contractor had been appointed to undertake the comprehensive repair works which should eliminate the leak at the manhole. Scottish Water are also responsible for reinstating the original condition of the beach which has been disfigured by layers of concrete which have been applied, one on top of the other, over the leaks in the manhole and some of the connecting pipework.

In the letter form Scottish Water, I was advised that:
"Work will commence on Monday 28th April and will see the contractor set up a site compound at the West Ferry Pumping Station with a linked working area on to the foreshore. This area will be fenced off in line with normal construction site practices. Demolition of the manhole will then take place over a number of days and into the following week. There will be some localised noise associated with this work but the activity will only take place during daylight hours, tidal conditions permitting. One of the key aspects of the works will be the management of wastewater flows during the reconstruction works. In agreement with Dundee City Council, during the week commencing 12th May, wastewater flows will temporarily be pumped from Broughty Ferry Road into West Ferry Pumping Station. This will require a closure of Douglas Terrace at the railway bridge. A Traffic Management Plan has been agreed with the Council and will ensure access to property is maintained. We expect all works to be completed during the week commencing 19th May. We would like apologise for any temporary disruption that may be caused during these essential works."

Meeting with Scottish Water

On Tuesday morning, I took advantage of Scottish Water running a surgery for Councillors in the City Chambers. I met Steve Scott, the Regional Community Manager, who is based at the Invergowrie Offices of Scottish Water.

I reviewed with Steve Scott, the two major issues which have been raised by constituents; namely the recurrent flooding at Cedar Road and the periodic leaking of the sewerage pipes under the stony beach close to the Western end of Douglas Terrace.

It was good to meet Steve face-to-face and the discuss these two issues and what potential there was to resolve them with the support of Scottish Water, SEPA and City Council. Steve will be sending me further documentation when he returns to the office.

Scottish Water Updates on Responding to Foul Water Leaks on the Stony Beach

In response to representations I made to Scottish Water in early August about foul water leaking onto the Stony Beach, a spokesperson for Scottish Water confirmed the ongoing actions they had and were taking:

Temporary pumping had been continued at the end of Douglas Terrace. Due to local concerns about noise, Scottish Water's operators, Veolia, have stopped using a diesel generator and installed an electric pump to support flow transfer through the pumping station.

Work to fix the leak at the Douglas Terrace manhole was completed over the weekend of 10 August. The temporary pumping mentioned above has also been successful in stopping any further leaks from the walkway manhole.

With regards to the permanent repair of the walkway manhole, it’s anticipated that a contractor will be appointed by the end of September, early October.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have continued to inspect the area and no further concerns or issues have been raised.

I previously reported similar leaks to Scottish Water in November 2012.

Broughty Ferry Community Council Meeting 2 July 2013

On Tuesday night 2 July, I attended the monthly meeting of Broughty Ferry Community Council. 

Here are some extracts from my report to the Community Council:

Reduction in Support for Learning Teachers at Grove Academy 
In a recent review of the number of Support for Learning Posts in every Dundee School, Grove Academy had its allocation of Support for Learning teachers reduced with effect from August 2013. The Support for Learning staffing levels at Grove for 2012/13 was 5.8 teachers and the allocation for 2013/14 is 4 posts. This comes into effect at a time when the school's roll is growing and the number of children entering our schools with additional support needs is increasing.

Scottish Water Short Term Repair to Leak near Douglas Terrace
On Monday 24 June Scottish Water repaired the leak to the sewage pipe on the stony beach close to to the Douglas Terrace end of the coastal pathway. Given the history of difficulties with this particular stretch of sewer, it is important that the pipe and the concrete junction buried in the beach is replaced. When Scottish Water briefed me about the long term replacement last November, they had predicted they needed a period of 6-8 months for undertaking the preparatory work. I have written to Scottish Water again to seek assurances that they plan to do this work before the winter.

Licensing Board and Licensing Committee Consultations
The Council's Licensing Board and the Licensing Committee are both undertaking consultations over the summer. For clarification, the Licensing Board deals with liquor licensing matters and the Licensing Committee deals with almost all other licenses including takeaway food, houses in multiple occupation and taxis and taxi drivers. In addition to the consultation from the Licensing Board about  amending its existing policy on trading hours for On-Sale Premises Licences granted under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, I wanted to give you notice that the Licensing Committee will also be consulting the Community Council about the licensing hours for take away restaurants including those hours that might operate outside the city centre in locations such as central Broughty Ferry. 

Dundee Alcohol and Drug Partnership Survey
There is also a community survey on alcohol survey being undertaken under the auspices of the Dundee Alcohol and Drug Partnership. The aim of their survey is to gauge community views on alcohol availability and get a sense of the factors that influence alcohol purchasing locally along with other associated attitudes in Dundee. Any member of the public can complete this survey online up to and including 31st July 2013.

Broughty Ferry Community Council meets on the first Tuesday of every month (excluding August) in the Community Library, Queen Street, Broughty Ferry Dundee DD5 2HN.
Community Council meetings begin at 7pm and are open to the public.

Scottish Water Commits to Permanent Repair of Sewage Pipe Under Broughty Ferry Beach

Last week, I met a senior engineer from Scottish Water for a site meeting on Douglas Terrace about the sewage leak on the beach, which I had first identified and reported to them at the beginning of October. This sewage pipe runs under the beach and close to the end of the raised walkway from Grassy Beach to Douglas Terrace. Out on my daily dog walk in last month, I could clearly see foul water leaking form the side of the concrete chamber which is buried in the beach with just the top protruding above the beach level. 

After two repair attempts, the visible flow has been stopped. At low tide you can see what amounts to a rather ugly repair with splodges of concrete lining the top of the junction chamber. The engineer from Scottish Water and a Manager from Veolia Water, the maintenance contractor, confirmed that it's a difficult site where they can only work in the few hours either side of low tide.

At our meeting, I was assured that what had been done was indeed a temporary repair.  I impressed on them the importance of making a permanent repair to the pipe. I was pleased to learn that an options appraisal is underway and that when the necessary permissions have been granted there will be a comprehensive replacement. This will need to be carefully planned because, while the old chamber and pipe is being dug up and replaced, a temporary bypass will need to be set up to divert the constant sewage and drainage water that flows down the pipe. They predicted a likely timescale of 6 months before the necessary permissions and contracts were in place and the more permanent repair is undertaken.

In the meanwhile, Violia staff are committed to monitoring the site to check for any new leaks breaking out and repairing these. I will also be keeping an eye on the site as I walk by every morning.

I have also written to the City Engineer to ask him to liaise with Scottish Water on the timing for the replacement of this length of sewer so that this does not clash with the the upgrading of the coastal pathway as both operations will require access to the beach down the same slipway.

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.