Cole-Hamilton: No consequences for sewage dumping in Scotland under the SNP

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton today said that under the SNP “there are never any consequences for sewage dumping in Scotland” as new analysis by his party drew comparisons between sewage dumping by Scottish Water and Anglian Water, who were recently fined more than £60m by the English and Welsh water regulator Ofwat.

Ofwat issued a fine of £62.8m after finding that 21% of Anglian Water’s overflows spilled more than 60 times in 2021 and that Anglian Water had failed to ensure that "spills only occur in exceptional or unforeseeable circumstances (accounting for seasonal variations), subject to best technical knowledge available not entailing excessive cost”.

However, the equivalent figure for the sewage dumping pipes monitored year-round in Scotland in 2024 is 42%.

A recent report from Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS) found that the equivalent guidance on sewage dumping from the Scottish Government failed to reflect the requirement for dumping to only occur in exceptional circumstances.

Following pressure from the Liberal Democrats the Scottish Government have now agreed to publish updated guidance on when sewage dumping is allowed to take place.

Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

“In England, when water companies dump sewage more frequently than the rules allow, they get hit with massive fines.

"In Scotland, it seems there are never any consequences for sewage dumping under the SNP.

“Sewage dumping in Scotland is still governed by 30-year-old sewage rules which the government's own watchdog says are failing.

"To turn the tide on the sewage scandal, Scottish Liberal Democrats have published plans for a Clean Water Act that would bring our sewage network into the 21st century, clamp down on dumping and get to the bottom of this disgusting practice."