Seafield sewage works incident
Posted: Monday 23rd April 2007
Sewage began pouring into the Firth of Forth estuary at a rate of 1,000 litres a second at 4.30pm on Friday after the failure of a pump that carries sewage to the Seafield treatment works, which handles raw effluent from 2 million people in and around Edinburgh. The fault led to sewage being diverted into the Firth of Forth after going through a mesh to remove objects such as nappies and sanitary towels. The discharge acts as an emergency measure to prevent backing up in the sewers.
Attempts to fix the pump, installed in the 1970s, were abandoned when it was judged beyond repair. Engineers set up temporary pumps to redirect sewage into the treatment works while the broken pump was being replaced.
SEPA is aware of the engineering problems at Seafield sewage works. SEPA's first priority is to ensure that the necessary steps are being taken by Thames Water, the site's operator, to minimise and avoid the risk of pollution.
SEPA staff have been liaising with Thames Water over the weekend and we are satisfied at the moment that they are taking these steps. They have also been to the site and the area, but at this stage it is too early to make any comment on the extent, or environmental impact, of the incident.
However, screening is in place, which has significantly reduced the amount of solid waste and other material being discharged, and there is very limited or no visual impact in the area.
As of Sunday afternoon, around 80% of the discharge has been diverted back to the sewage works. The aim is to complete the rest of the engineering works as soon as possible, possibly by the end of Sunday evening, to ensure that all of the discharge is going through the works.
SEPA's next steps will be to conduct an investigation and to consider what monitoring, or regulatory action, is appropriate.
