Stinking Seafield! Scottish Water replies…..
After weeks of appalling sewage smells, and after sending through an unprecedented high number of complaints from the local community, on our online forms, the Community Council has today received this missive from Scottish Water:
Dear stakeholder,
I am writing to update you about the odour issues that have been impacting customers living close to the Seafield Waste Water Treatment Works in recent days.
You will be aware Scotland is currently experiencing the driest start to the year in more than 60 years.
This long period of dry, hot weather has combined with sustained onshore winds at Seafield creating a ‘perfect storm’ where slow moving sewage is already giving off a strong odour by the time it arrives at the works.
This is simply because with less surface and grey water entering the sewer system, sewage is more concentrated than usual.
An independent review commissioned by the Scottish Government in 2017 highlighted this increased risk of odour as an unavoidable consequence of the weather conditions we are currently experiencing.
This can be mitigated by wind direction but we are also experiencing an unprecedented level of onshore wind for this time of year.
However, there are some immediate actions that we are implementing.
- We have increased chemical dosing at Seafield and are working with partners to ensure this is at levels that will have an effect on the first point where sewage arrives at Seafield.
- We are switching to a specific chemical where the sewage enters Seafield that ‘targets’ the specific odour causing most of the issues.
- Further discussions are being held today, and a site meeting tomorrow to evaluate additional measures that could include increasing dosing points that again specifically target the inlet works.
- All non-essential maintenance activity has been suspended, and this will remain in place for the remainder of this week and then reviewed again.
Please be reassured every complaint is being looked at, investigated and acted upon and we will continue to work closely with the site operators Veolia to address the problem.
We will be in touch with an update when we have more information.
Matt Bingham
Senior Communications & Engagement Consultant
Scottish Water
Buchanan Gate Business Park,
Cumbernauld Road, Stepps,
Glasgow
G33 6FB
Tel: 07709 504 350