Scottish Water Sewerage Options

[oorly gourlay]

I don't know if it is happening to anyone else but on 2 PC's the voting button does not appear and that may explain the lack of response.

oorly

[John S]

I think you need to be registered and logged on to vote

[Nancie]

Les

I will have to tender my apologies for the meeting next week as my cousin Greta Ryan (see separate thread on Jacksons and Jordans) is coming on Thursday to stay. I am meeting her in Glasgow and we are coming home on Thursday afternoon. All who have helped Greta trace her relatives and origins and anyone interested in meeting her is invited to my house at Killean Place on Thursday night. I have already posted this on the site.

I am beginning to feel that the council chambers will be too small for the meeting and wonder if the upstairs hall would be a better option. Let me know what you think and I will enquire if it is available.

Nancie

[oorly gourlay]

John S.

I was logged in, logged out then logged back in and the button is still not there

oorly

[petewick]

Where's that button gone?
We demand the right to vote!

[John S]

Help Davi P, the natives are getting restless

[Ship called Dignity]

It is still there for me

I haven't voted which gets me back to why I was going to post after reading previous replies. I am not voting because I don't think it makes sense ( no offence John!). We shouldn't accept any sewage at all!

[John S]

Hi Davie,

I suppose I better try to explain why these questions.

They start from the premise that - irrespective of what the solutions suggested by Scottish Water are, there is a standard the local community expect from the final solution. These questions give an indication to what that expectation is.

The current situation, at its most drastic, has seen untreated sewage floating in the streets and flooding out ground floor premises. At its least damaging, if you can call it that, allowing enormous quantities of untreated sewage to enter Campbeltown Loch.
An unacceptable situation.

Any proposal which has previously been suggested to remedy the current situation with regard to the combination of storm water and sewage in the Campbeltown sewage system has still made allowance for the discharge of large quantities of untreated sewage.
Is this an unacceptable situation for the community? This is the big question.

I don't have a feeling for what the community’s position is. and I think that previous attempts to debate the issue have not taken sufficient soundings of community opinion.

I think that previously we have assumed the community accepts that we are stuck with this discharge and it has to go somewhere.

The three options in the poll test that assumption, and as you would expect few people so far will be satisfied with a solution which only keeps the sewage off the street, but allows the loch to accept untreated discharges.

The second two options test for the big question, are we accepting of a solution which discharges raw sewage at all? Or If it has to go somewhere it is either into the loch or further a field into a local marine environment.

The way the poll currently reads with 25 votes,
72% would not be satisfied with a solution which allowed any discharge of untreated sewage into the sea at all (including the loch).

20% are less fussy and are not concerned where it goes as long as its not Campbeltown Loch

8% are happy to continue discharging untreated sewage into the loch as long as it doesn’t end up on the streets..

[WC1]

John

A fair summary. I think, however, that some of the leading opinion formers in the community, if we can call them that, were under a lot of strong pressure to accept any solution that got the discharge away from the pontoons as quickly as possible. A lot of people were content to stay on the sidelines while attempts to find solutions were being made, then came in when they felt the proposed solution was unacceptable, for which they got in in the neck from the aforementioned leading opinion formers, which is unfortunately when all the acrimony started. (And the solution they got it in the neck for opposing would still have included discharges at the pontoons!) The real plus we've had from the Task Force is that much of the heat and acrimony have been taken out of the discussions. Your attempt to find out what the majority would settle for is very welcome. The right solution is not, however, going to be a quick fix.

[bubbly jock]

WC

If you are there on Thursday I hope you don't have your history hat on. The innuendo in the above comments will earn you a request to leave from the Chair if you repeat them at the meeting. No looking back WC. Thinly veiled rants will not be tolerated.

Apart from the serious isues involved, your comments remind me of a little ditty.

They said it couldn't be done
and with a smile they went right to it
and tackled that thing that couldn't be done
---------and couldn't do it."


bubbly

[WC1]

Thinly veiled rants will not be tolerated.

My point entirely.

[WC1]

Don't think I did that right. Second attempt.

"Thinly veiled rants will not be tolerated".

My point entirely.

[bubbly jock]

WC

Good to see we are on the same wave length.

Will you be at Nancie's wee reunion on thusrday?

bubbly

[John S]

While it is frustrating and damaging that things have taken so long, what has happened in the intervening time is that an awful lot more information has come to light which helps inform and guide us.
WC, I put my hands up here and say that my own opinion, which was guided by the advice from Scottish Water and SEPA at the time the first solution was suggested, has changed as a result. (although I would still like to see independent academic analysis of future options).

The opinion formers you speak off have nothing to be ashamed of in the steps they have taken during the initial shock & scramble to find a solution. Not wishing to sound like Donald H Rumsfeld but - the only thing bigger than the things we don't know are the things we don't know we don't know - its been a learning curve for everyone.

But when you put your head above the parapet you have to be prepared to take it in the neck on occasions and listen to criticism, which is not always easy. I hope we can all learn from this experience and all become more proactive in the future of this community and considerate in our dialogue, helping those who choose to stand for election as councillors and community councillors to speak with the confidence that they truly do speak for the community.

[Jeanette]

,A resident on Low Askomil who agreed in February 2003. to pay £16.47 to Scottish Water every month until January 2008 by direct debit because she was connected to the new sewerage system and was told she had to pay has had a letter from Sheriff officers threatening her with legal action if she doesn't pay up.

Needless to say she has been paying since 2003 but they have allegedly lost the records of who has paid and who hasn't. The only records they have are of the residents who agreed to pay monthly and now it would appear they're not sure about them so they have decided to send them sheriff officers letters hoping they will get back to Scottish Water in their indignation and it can be sorted from there.

The Task Force will no doubt realise how difficult it is to get credible representatives to come to answer any questions so I am sure they will be sympathetic to one lone voice trying to get answers, or is that too far back to be of any interest to anyone except the people it still affects.

I wonder if this ladies concerns and questions are relevant enough to ask at the meeting or would they be seen as thinly disguised rants After all it would never do to upset representatives of Sepa or Scottish Water or make them feel that they were part of a kangaroo court.

I hope that evictions for unruly bahaviour applies to the Task Force members and Scottish Water representatives as well as all the hicks who have the gall to turn up and want answers to questions.

I am sorry I will not manage to the meeting but I hope to read all about here on the forum.

jeanette