Sewage Issues

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Sewage Issues

Postby Admin3 » Wed Apr 13, 2005 4:19 pm

The pipe that was to go down Kilkerran was to discharge at Glenramskill in a line straight across from the shipyard. That was what the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) regarded as the cut off point for the recreational waters within the loch but the community council and others were adament that any sewerage in the loch was unacceptable and that Scottish Water would have to come up with something which not only put it away from the loch but also to include a solution to resolve the issue of the regular flooding of the town.

Their solution was to extend the pipe to come out at Kildalloig well away from the loch and this pipe would extend 800metres out into the sound.
There would be a large underground pumping station at the start of the quarry green. There were plans on show at the town hall and the fun began when the residents of Kilkerran realised that a pipe would be passing their doors and they then formed a committee and called themselves KINTYRE Residents against pollution. When it was pointed out to them that the fight with Scottish Water has been going on for six years and where were they when Low Askomil residents were being asked to stump up £25.000 pounds there answer was? "we have never seen it in the Courier" and one resident said "I don't read the Courier" Six years of misery for Campbeltown and they had never heard of it!! The situation at the moment, allegedly some of the residents have employed Edinburgh lawyers to fight their corner so as far as I know everything is on hold Great what money can do Where were they when it was discharging on to the Dhorlin from Macrinians point?

The owners of Kildalloig and the new owners of Davaar House appear to be leading the campaign. I think they should call themselves KILKERRAN residents against pollution. I asked if they will be fighting any other issues in Kintyre and the answer was no They have only formed to fight the pipe going down Kilkerran and the pump house at the quarry green They even wrote to Jack McConnell on behalf of the KINTYRE residents They didn't ask me, did they askyou?


From the Yellow Book thread - this topic deserves its own thread.
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Re: Sewage!

Postby Malky » Wed Apr 13, 2005 10:51 pm

As a livestock farmer (main occupation), I had to put a waste management system into place 7 years ago to be on the right side of the law as overseen by SEPA. There was then and still is no option of an "overflow" to the waste solution I have on the farm here no matter how much rain has fallen. Basically if any waste reaches any watercourse I can be fined up to £20,000 and have to cover any costs that are needed to put the pollution right again.

I suspect that any other local business that handles :roll: waste of any sort will have a similar sort of waste management system/plan in place.

One of the main features of the waste management solution I have here is to keep completely separate, clean (rain) water and dirty water. That is common sense really as it reduces the amount of waste by a very considerable amount.

Why then, when you consider the amount of rain we actually get here on the West coast, did Scottish Water put in a sewerage system that goes against that bit of common sense and mixes the rain water with sewage? Is it any wonder that there are problems in Campbeltown now? And as global warming starts to bite and we get a wetter and windier climate here, what will happen to Campbeltown then? How many times will the overflow be used and how many thousands of gallons of sewage will be pumped into the loch?

I personally don't think that any solution to Campbeltown's problems should include a sewage overflow of any sort. Scottish Water is taking the easy way out of this problem. Although I can understand Campbeltown residents wanting something sorted out sooner rather than later I feel that in the long term an overflow is not the answer.

Another place that is going to have problems is Tarbert. All waste is to be pumped uphill there :!: Now a little scenario - the pump fails (that's already happened in Campbeltown), and gravity takes over. Where will the waste go? Well as anyone who has layen on their back while taking a c**p will tell you - downhill :roll:

When will all these "expert" engineers get a grip on reality and wake up and smell the ...................... :!:

/rant over

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scottish water

Postby Jeanette » Thu Apr 14, 2005 9:05 am

Malky you are right in what you say. There should be a proper system in place. Apparently when the plants in London have done their task the water is fit to drink. If that is true then the technology exists for there to be no need for the present debacle. The reason for our present situation is simple, their engineers got it wrong. When Scottish Water began the project in Campbeltown they had 11.5 million pounds to play around with to install a new system and clean up Campbeltown Loch. Their engineers did not include in their calculations the amount of storm water from various sources, burns, underground springs and rainwater from most properties in the town.

When the sewers were first installed and the locals stopped shouting "gardi loo" long before any of us were around all waste and storm water went in together and discharged into the loch. In the 1970's all new builds began installing two seperate pipes, one for rainwater and the other for waste up to the curtilage of the property and then into one pipe and into the main sewer. This may have been an attempt at preparing for separation at a later date when a new system would be put in place.

When Scottish Water along with their strategic partners Bywater Leslie tried out this new plant they have recently built, the problems were quickly highlighted. What they had installed only worked efficiently when the waste wasn't diluted and with all the extra water included the system failed. Their answer to this was to bring in tankers full of waste from central Scotland to add to the local waste in an attempt at getting the system to work. I am sure we have all seen the large red "Impy" tankers running in and out the town.

Your suggestions for separation have been asked many times but for them to do this now would involve EVERY garden and EVERY street in Campbeltown being dug up, years of disruption would follow and the cost to the tax payer would make this very unrealistic I Don't know what you payed to upgrade your system but you could multiply it by thousands to get an idea of what that would cost What most of us would like to see would be The planning deps. refusing permission for anymore disruption by Scottish Water and their strategic partners and they should be made to come back and sort out the problem at their own cost but I am sure you realise that wont happen.
As for SEPA, the goal posts get altered depending on the offender,they brought a farmer to task over discharging effluent into the backs water and then allowed Scottish water to commit the same "crime" with no rebuke. The kilkerran pipe is not a real option but it is better than the alternitive, flooded streets and misery for local businesses. I am sure if you came along to the next open meeting that Scottish Water hold you will get all the technical details involving flow charts, filters and quantities but the bottom line is that the solution to their mistakes are going to affect this town for decades to come.
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Postby Malky » Thu Apr 14, 2005 12:33 pm

Very good reply to my rant Jeanette :) very informative.

I still think that the overflow should be treated before being discharged into the sea though. If this means large holding tanks (thats what farmers use) or another treatment plant dedicated to the overflow so be it :?

When I was told what my waste management options were 7 years ago, cost was irrelevent to SEPA. Bottom line was, no pollution. Isn't is funny how large companies get treated differently when it comes down to it.

Whatever happened to the polluter pays? :?

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polluters

Postby Jeanette » Sat Apr 16, 2005 3:46 pm

At a public meeting in the vic some time ago, the question was raised as to why Scottish Water were not prosecuted for discharging raw sewage into a river. In the audience that night there were reps from SEPA who had kept their heads low all evening. They eventually admitted that it was a waste of time prosecuting Scottish Water because it would be the tax payer who would pay the fine!!!

So it would appear that Scottish Water have carte blanche wherever they go to do what they want and that the rate payer will pay for any reprecussions. If they are not answerable to SEPA then who can stop them doing what they want?

Members of the Campbeltown public should appear at these meetings when they are advertised in the Courier. It may seem at the time that the issues on the agenda are not important to you but if they affect one part of town then it will surely end up affecting the whole area. Campbeltown Community Council are the "nominees" (I don't know if that is the right word) for any correspondence and updates from Scottish Water and then it is passed to the public who can hear the latest at the ccc meetings or in the Courier.
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