Fife had the biggest percentage increase of sewage dumps in Scotland last year.
Figures revealed by the Scottish Liberal Democrats show the number of dumps in Fife almost trebled from 213 to 733 - a 244.1 per cent increase. Sewage was dumped for 9615 hours.
Fife Liberal Democrat leader, Councillor James Calder, said: "Residents of Fife will be horrified by the huge increase in sewage dumping in Fife by Scottish Water, polluting our rivers and coastline.
"I am absolutely furious, especially as Fife Council raised this issue with Scottish Water after the motion I raised on the subject last year.
"It isn't good enough. The SNP and Green ministers should be ashamed of their inaction on this too as this goes to show that protecting our environment is clearly not a Scottish Government priority. With Scottish Water being a publicly-owned utility the buck stops with them.
"The Scottish Liberal Democrats will continue to raise this at every level until a proper solution is found."
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As previously reported in the Press, Charlestown, Limekilns, and Pattiesmuir (CLP) Nature Conservation Group raised concerns about sewage waste following a beach clean-up last month. The group found toilet wipes as well as period products washed on on the shore.
They said: “We have been tackling the issue of sewage-related debris on our beaches and in our rivers for years. It has increased over this time. Despite more and more people volunteering for beach cleans, we are faced with the same items again and again.
“Single use wipes, tampon applicators, cotton buds, sanitary towels all containing plastic that people have thrown down the toilet with little regard to our environment or wildlife. Wipes particularly never should go in the toilet, flushable, biodegradable or not.
“People need to stop this immediately while the infrastructure for our waste water is improved to stop it overflowing directly into rivers and the sea in heavy rain.
"Our group is ensuring it is more informed about these issues so it can challenge those responsible as well as learning about solutions we can promote to reduce run off water locally for example.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “It is important to note that overflows from sewers are wastewater, which has been highly diluted by rainwater, and which normally consists of less than one per cent toilet waste.
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“SEPA assesses 87 per cent of water bodies in Scotland as having ‘high’ or ‘good’ water quality, up from 82 per cent six years ago. This means our rivers and coastal waters are overall in good ecological condition, but we are not complacent, and continue to work closely with SEPA and Scottish Water to monitor and improve water quality.
“Scottish Water is taking action and is committing up to £500m to improve water quality, increase monitoring of the highest priority waters and tackle debris and spills. This includes a commitment to install at least 1000 new monitors on the network by the end of 2024 – good progress is being made, with around 800 having already been installed by the end of March.
“Scottish Water is also working with SEPA to identify and develop solutions for 108 high priority overflows impacting water quality or causing sewage related debris problems.
“We have also recently undertaken a public consultation on water, wastewater and drainage which considers how we limit the amount of rainwater entering sewers to reduce overflows.”
Professor Simon Parsons, Scottish Water’s director of environment, planning and assurance, pointed out that Fife currently had more bathing waters classified as good or excellent for water quality (by SEPA) than any other local authority in Scotland (10 Excellent and 3 Good), and Scottish Water infrastructure played a key role in supporting this.
He continued: “There was an increase in the number of overflows last year because of higher rainfall. Our network helps drain the rain away for communities - Storm Babet was in October and that month was the wettest in Scotland on record - and we anticipate as the climate changes that rainfall will continue to overload our sewers.
"We are working with partners across Scotland to deliver new ways of managing surface water.
“Around 99 per cent of these overflows is rainwater, surface water, road run-off, grey water, infiltration of groundwater and trade effluent. More than half of the overflows we report in Fife are at locations where there has been treatment of the flows, such as primary settlement and screening (known as Settled Storm Sewer Overflows/SSSOs).
“We recognise releasing waste water, even occasionally, into Scotland’s rivers and seas is a concern to people and we are playing our part in fully informing the public, as well as improving infrastructure.
“Our Improving Urban Waters Routemap sets out a clear commitment to invest further, monitor performance at more locations and strive to prevent pollution incidents before these happen. We are on track to deliver on those commitments.”
CLP Nature Group, meanwhile, are running another beach clean this Sunday (April 21) from 10.30am to 11.30am. You can join the group at Limekilns Pier Beach (next to the car park) to help clean up the beach. For more information, contact Jo by emailing clpnaturegroup@gmail.com .
The beach clean is in partnership with Fiona McOwan and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and to mark Earth Day on April 22.
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