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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Apology for 'catastrophic' spill | Apology for 'catastrophic' spill |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| Scottish Water has apologised for pouring millions of litres of sewage into the Firth of Forth. | Scottish Water has apologised for pouring millions of litres of sewage into the Firth of Forth. |
| The company has promised the temporary pumps it has been installing over the weekend will solve the problem. | |
| As much as a hundred million litres of sewage may have been discharged after a pump failure at Seafield Wastewater Treatment Plant in Leith on Friday. | As much as a hundred million litres of sewage may have been discharged after a pump failure at Seafield Wastewater Treatment Plant in Leith on Friday. |
| The apology came amid a row over the risk to public health after the public was warned to avoid contact with water. | The apology came amid a row over the risk to public health after the public was warned to avoid contact with water. |
| Residents have complained they were not informed quickly enough that beaches might be contaminated. | Residents have complained they were not informed quickly enough that beaches might be contaminated. |
| And Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell has called for a full investigation. | And Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell has called for a full investigation. |
| Approximately 1,000 litres a second of partially diluted sewage has been pumping into the Forth. | Approximately 1,000 litres a second of partially diluted sewage has been pumping into the Forth. |
| The plant, run by Thames Water, treats sewage for 800,000 people in and around Edinburgh. | The plant, run by Thames Water, treats sewage for 800,000 people in and around Edinburgh. |
| 'Catastrophic failure' | 'Catastrophic failure' |
| Helen Lennox, Scottish Water's head of corporate affairs, apologised to customers for the inconvenience caused. | Helen Lennox, Scottish Water's head of corporate affairs, apologised to customers for the inconvenience caused. |
| She said: "This was a catastrophic failure at a pumping station and we have been working around the clock to fix it. | She said: "This was a catastrophic failure at a pumping station and we have been working around the clock to fix it. |
| It has an infrastructure that is basically Third World technology Rob KirkwoodLeith Links Residents' Association Beach-goers slam warnings | It has an infrastructure that is basically Third World technology Rob KirkwoodLeith Links Residents' Association Beach-goers slam warnings |
| "On investigation our engineers found the repair was a much larger operation than first anticipated and we have had to locate specialist pumps from other parts of the UK". | "On investigation our engineers found the repair was a much larger operation than first anticipated and we have had to locate specialist pumps from other parts of the UK". |
| The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has already said emergency measures to "minimize the risk of pollution" were being put in place and has warned the public not to come into contact with the water. | |
| The failure affected just one of the flows going into the treatment works and that Seafield continued to treat the rest of its intake as normal. | The failure affected just one of the flows going into the treatment works and that Seafield continued to treat the rest of its intake as normal. |
| John Rae, the General Manager of Customer Operations for Scottish Water, explained the sewage flow would have to be diverted before higher capacity pumps could be installed. | John Rae, the General Manager of Customer Operations for Scottish Water, explained the sewage flow would have to be diverted before higher capacity pumps could be installed. |
| "The line that's coming in where we have the problem is only about a quarter of the total flow that Thames actually treat. | "The line that's coming in where we have the problem is only about a quarter of the total flow that Thames actually treat. |
| Now in saying that, it's still a huge flow that's actually coming in - so they have to be able to divert that fully to stop the emergency overflow from running." | Now in saying that, it's still a huge flow that's actually coming in - so they have to be able to divert that fully to stop the emergency overflow from running." |
| Investigation calls | Investigation calls |
| Gordon Greenhill, head of community safety at Edinburgh City Council, said the sewage spill raised public health concerns but would not be a long-term environmental problem. | Gordon Greenhill, head of community safety at Edinburgh City Council, said the sewage spill raised public health concerns but would not be a long-term environmental problem. |
| People using the waterfront have been urged to take precautions | People using the waterfront have been urged to take precautions |
| "The volume of sewage going into the Forth estuary is a concern as it has the capacity to come back on to the shore," he said. | "The volume of sewage going into the Forth estuary is a concern as it has the capacity to come back on to the shore," he said. |
| "Any raw sewage has human pathogens in it which has the capacity to make people ill." | "Any raw sewage has human pathogens in it which has the capacity to make people ill." |
| Residents in Leith have long campaigned about the smell from the plant. | Residents in Leith have long campaigned about the smell from the plant. |
| Rob Kirkwood, the chairman of Leith Links Residents' Association, said: "It has an infrastructure that is basically Third World technology." | Rob Kirkwood, the chairman of Leith Links Residents' Association, said: "It has an infrastructure that is basically Third World technology." |
| Meanwhile Scotland's First Minister Mr McConnell said that it was essential that there was an "immediate investigation into the mechanical failure that has apparently caused this spillage and what action needs to be taken as soon as possible to ensure that such a mechanical failure does not occur again". | Meanwhile Scotland's First Minister Mr McConnell said that it was essential that there was an "immediate investigation into the mechanical failure that has apparently caused this spillage and what action needs to be taken as soon as possible to ensure that such a mechanical failure does not occur again". |
| The SNP and the Scottish Greens questioned the viability of the private finance initiative scheme that was used to install and manage the treatment facilities at Seafield. | The SNP and the Scottish Greens questioned the viability of the private finance initiative scheme that was used to install and manage the treatment facilities at Seafield. |
| And Conservative deputy leader Murdo Fraser called the incident a "catastrophe" for the local environment. | And Conservative deputy leader Murdo Fraser called the incident a "catastrophe" for the local environment. |
Do you live near the Firth of Forth and have you been affected by the spill? Have you been on the waterfront and can you see the effects of the leak?Please send us your comments and experiences using the form below. | Do you live near the Firth of Forth and have you been affected by the spill? Have you been on the waterfront and can you see the effects of the leak?Please send us your comments and experiences using the form below. |