Environment Secretary warned Scotland faces similar problems to England over sewage dumping

Scottish Liberal Democrats have today called for the Scottish Government to record and publish all sewage discharges and deliver legally binding targets to tackle sewage dumping as it emerged civil servants had warned Environment Secretary Mairi McAllan that Scotland faces similar problems to England and Wales.

A freedom of information request from the Daily Express published by the Scottish Government reveals the Environment Secretary asking about differences between Scotland and England. Civil servants confirmed that “Water companies in England and Wales are not doing anything different” before clarifying that “In Scotland we are experiencing similar pressure son some treatment works” and “some pumping of untreated effluent may occur in Scotland.”

Responding, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:  

“The Environment Secretary wanted to be able to say that the approach to sewage in England was fundamentally different, but didn’t get the answer she was hoping for.  

“Across Scotland we know there were more than 14,000 sewage spills last year but people are being kept in the dark about the true scale of the problem because so many sewage outlets are unmonitored.  

“It’s time the Scottish Government-owned water company recorded and published all sewage discharges so we get a true picture, for legally-binding targets to tackle sewage dumping, and for new measures to upgrade Scotland's Victorian sewage systems that will protect our rivers and beaches.”