In total, there were 1,440 spills in rivers, lochs and coasts in the leaders’ constituency areas, according to new analysis of Scottish Water data.
i is urging political parties to get behind its manifesto to Save Britain’s Rivers, amid growing public anger over the amount of sewage dumped in the UK’s waterways.
Both the Liberal Democrats and Greens have backed the campaign, which sets out five key pledges including tougher regulation, cleaner bathing sites and a reduction in sewage spills.
Wet wipes covering a tree on the River Almond in West Lothian, home to Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater (Photo: River Almond Action Group)
Anti-pollution campaigners across the UK are angry that water companies are allowed to discharge raw sewage via “combined sewer overflows” (CSOs) during periods of heavy rain.
While the overflows are designed to drain excess water to stop flooding inside people’s homes, they often lead to toilet waste being discharged directly into rivers, lochs and coasts.
Since environmental issues are largely devolved, the policies in i’s manifesto focus primarily on the protection of England’s rivers, because this is the jurisdiction that the UK government has full control over.
However, i is challenging political parties in all four nations to sign up to the manifesto ahead of the general election, and for equivalent measures to be introduced by policymakers across the UK.
Sewage was dumped in waterways in Perth and Kinross – the council area covering SNP leader John Swinney’s Holyrood constituency of Perthshire North – 436 times last year.
The Scottish Water spills lasted more than 8,000 hours across his region, which sees the River Ericht run close by his constituency office.
Last year also saw 648 sewage spills in the Glasgow city council area – home to the Holyrood constituencies of both Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and Scottish Greens’ co-leader Patrick Harvie. Recorded sewage dumps here lasted more than 3,000 hours.
There were 87 sewage spills in the Moray council area, home to Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross’s previous Westminster constituency of Moray, and the area he is standing in this time, Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.
i looked at Scottish Water figures for sewage spills in the local authority areas that correspond most closely with the constituencies of the party leaders.
In most cases this was the constituency they represent at the Scottish Parliament, except in Mr Ross’s case, where we looked at the Westminster seat he is trying to win on 4 July.
Another 269 sewage dumps took place in the West Lothian and Midlothian council areas, which cover the Holyrood constituency of Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater – Lothian. The spills in her region last year lasted more than 6,800 hours.
When it comes to Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton, and his Edinburgh West constituency, the lack of sewage monitoring means no data is available.
Mr Cole-Hamilton said the state of sewage dumping, and the lack of monitoring by Scottish Water, was “an absolute scandal”.
He backed the Save Britain’s Rivers campaign, saying i had “done a fantastic job in helping raise awareness of the disgusting state of sewage dumping in Scotland. Action needs to be taken and that is why we support their manifesto to Save Britain’s Rivers.”
The Scottish Lib Dems have promised a Clean Water Act for Scotland in their manifesto. They say the legislation would force upgrades to the sewage network, see every single spill monitored, ban sewage release in bathing waters, and create binding reduction targets.
The Scottish Greens also endorsed the Save Britain’s Rivers manifesto. Mark Ruskell, an MSP and the party’s climate spokesperson, said: “The proposals from i are exactly what our rivers need.
“At the heart of the problem is an urgent need to look at farming regulations and invest in our Victorian sewage system and bring it into the 21st century. The campaign by i is an important contribution to the debate about how we get there.”
The River Almond at Cramond near Edinburgh (Photo: Jim Monk/iStockphoto/Getty)
The Scottish Greens’ manifesto calls for major investment to separate domestic sewage and rainwater systems, to help cut spills. The party also backs stronger powers for Scotland’s regulators, with unlimited fines for water companies.
Scottish Labour’s manifesto pledges to push Scottish Water into greater investment in upgrades, along with the promise of stronger regulation.
UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has praised i’s campaign and promised to hold water bosses personally liable for pollution as part of a “desperately needed” overhaul of regulation. But he stopped short of backing each of the five demands.
The Conservative Party has promised to ban executive bonuses if a water company has committed any serious breaches.
The Scottish Tories have pledged to create nature networks and a cleaner seas fund “to take rubbish out of Scotland’s waters”.
Douglas Lumsden, the Scottish Tories’ shadow Net Zero Secretary, said the party was concerned that sewage release could have an impact on fishing in Scotland’s rivers.
He said his party wanted to “establish nature networks across Scotland to better safeguard protected areas”.
The SNP’s manifesto does not mention sewage spillages or the pollution of Scotland’s waterways.
But the SNP’s environment spokesperson Steven Bonnar said the party was “committed” to the protection of Scotland’s rivers, and pointed to the fact it had “consistently rejected the privatisation of our water”.
Mr Bonnar, SNP candidate for Coatbridge and Bellshill, added: “Scottish Water is owned by the people of Scotland, and all profit it generates is reinvested into improving our infrastructure, not siphoned off into the hands of shareholders while the system remains unimproved, as is the case across the rest of the UK.”
Scottish Water said it had invested £2.7bn in the drainage system over the past decade, with another £500m committed for the years ahead. The company has promised to install 1,000 new sewage monitors by the end of 2024.
A spokesperson for Scottish Water said overflow spills were a “fundamental part” of the public sewer system.
They added: “The vast majority of overflowing water is run-off from roads and roofs, and ‘grey’ water from household appliances. Only about 1 per cent comes from toilets. Customers can play their part by not flushing wet wipes, and other items that cause blockages, down toilets.”
i is calling on all the political parties to sign up to its manifesto to Save Britain’s Rivers
#1. RIVER HEALTH: 77% rivers in good health by 2027
Current situation: England’s rivers were once havens of biodiversity, but the vast majority are now struggling to support healthy ecosystems of plants and wildlife. Just 14 per cent of rivers in England are currently in good ecological health and not a single river has achieved good chemical health. The Government has set a legal target that 77 per cent will achieve good ecological status by 2027 – but without urgent action this will not happen.
Target: Within its first six months in power, the new Government will publish a roadmap on how it is going to achieve this existing legal target, and its long-awaited chemical strategy. The plan must include increased funding for the Environment Agency so the watchdog can do its job – and enforce the law.
#2. SEWAGE: Sewage spills will not damage high-priority areas – including bathing spots and nature sites – by 2030
Current situation: Bathing waters and nature sites are being destroyed by sewage spills, but water companies will not be required to clean up all these spaces until 2045.
Target: Untreated sewage will not cause damage to high-priority sites (which are bathing spots, protected nature sites, National Parks and chalk streams) by 2030. Water companies who fail to meet this target will be prosecuted. Nature-based solutions will be used to clean up sewage wherever possible.
#3. WATCHDOG: Regulators will stop water companies destroying the environment in pursuit of profit
Current situation: Water companies have paid their investors healthy dividends while failing to invest enough in their infrastructure to prevent environmental harm. This is partly caused by a disjointed regulatory system that prioritises economic outcomes over the environment.
Target: Within its first year in power, the new Government will publish a plan to reform regulation of water companies. This plan must be legislated on and executed within the first term of Parliament. This will include tougher powers to restrict dividends and bonuses for underperforming water companies, alongside greater resources to pursue prosecution. A “green duty” will be placed on Ofwat, which will force the regulator to place greater emphasis on the environment when making decisions over water companies’ business plans.
#4. BATHING: Create 100 clean bathing spots in rivers by 2030
Current situation: People in the UK have discovered the joy of wild swimming. But there are only 15 official bathing spots in English rivers, and many are not safe.
Target: 100 bathing spots in English rivers by the end of the new parliamentary term. The Environment Agency must start monitoring water quality throughout the year and take action to improve water quality at these sites. Bathing regulations will be altered so polluters can be prosecuted when bathing sites fail water quality tests.
#5. FARMING: Farmers must be funded to improve water quality, and face enforcement action if they damage the environment
Current situation: Agriculture is the biggest source of pollution in many rivers, but many farmers warn they are struggling to make ends meet under post-Brexit farming subsidies. Meanwhile, the Environment Agency is failing to enforce farming water-quality regulations.
Target: Within its first year in power, the new Government will strengthen its Environmental Land Management scheme so farmers are given more grants, support and advice to undertake activities that will improve water quality. The Environment Agency will commit to a year-on-year increase in the number of farms being inspected – and take enforcement action against those who commit breaches of the “farming rules for water”.
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