Scottish Water fined after sewage and dead fish discovered in polluted burn

Scottish Water has been fined £6,000 after untreated sewage was found polluting a body of water.

Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) officers were called to Crossford Burn in Dunfermline by a member of the public on July 11, 2022.

They observed a discharge, later confirmed to be untreated sewage from a surface water outfall flowing to the river.

Investigators noted a significant growth of sewage fungus, discolouration of the burn and an odour.

After carrying out tests on the water samples, SEPA identified elevated levels of ammonia, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand and reactive phosphorous.

An ecology survey of the burn confirmed the presence of dead invertebrates and fish.

Scottish Water notified SEPA on July 15, 2022, that a blockage and collapse within the combined sewer network had caused sewage to enter the surface water drainage network, which was then discharged to the Crossford Burn.

The water company later said there had been difficulty in accessing the sewer network to identify and begin the necessary repairs, but repairs were complete and the discharge had stopped.

SEPA deemed that these delays exacerbated the effects of the pollution, and Scottish Water failed to take all practicable steps to prevent deterioration of the Crossford Burn.

They were served a £6,000 penalty and were required to pay SEPA costs of £1,800.

Ashley Clunie, SEPA Unit Manager for Fife, Angus and Dundee, said: “While we accept that there was a blockage and collapse in the sewer network, the length of time this spill went on for, and the impact it had on the environment was unacceptable.

“This civil penalty has been served in order to change behaviour and drive improvements in Scottish Water processes, in particular ensuring timely responses to pollution incidents.

“The penalty imposed, plus payment of our costs, demonstrates our commitment to protecting Scotland’s water environment and ensuring accountability when operators fail to comply with regulations designed to protect our environment.”

A Scottish Water spokesperson said: “Any pollution incident is regrettable and while in this case it occurred due to the unforeseeable collapse of a non-critical sewer, we will learn what lessons we can and make improvements where necessary.

“Scottish Water works extremely hard to maintain over 33,000 miles of waste water pipes across Scotland. We are investing record amounts to improve our waste water network to cope with the challenges of ageing assets, increasing demand and climate change.”