Katrina Faccenda, Scottish Labour prospective candidate for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, has called for Scottish Water reserves to be used for Leithers and those further afield who have put up with the Seafield Stench for decades.
“The scandal of not using the cash stash of £391m to fully resolve the problem of the Seafield Stench just stinks. Less than a third of this is what is needed to meet the demands of local residents and fully resolve the problem,” she said.
“Huge growth and development of housing in the area means an ever increasing number affected. In power since 2007 the SNP Scottish Government have still not solved this problem despite a promise made then to do so. Kicking it into the long grass until 2030 is not good enough when the money is there.
“I call on local MSP Scottish Government Minister Ben McPherson to use his position to make this happen. The money is there – all that’s needed is the will to make it happen.”
Long-surrering Links residents are raising funds to take legal action against the SNP -Labour run City of Edinburgh Council.
Scientists at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s (SEPA) have successfully pinpointed fragments of coronavirus’ ribonucleic acid (RNA) in local waste water samples across the country.
SEPA was among the first European agencies to begin this exploratory work back in May, with the backing of Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland (PHS), alongside Scottish Water, CREW (Centre of expertise for Waters) and academic partners from the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute and Heriot Watt University.
The aim was to detect fragments of the virus’ RNA – a genetic footprint which can be measured in waste water even after the virus has begun to breakdown. The World Health Organization has said there is currently no evidence that coronavirus has been transmitted via sewerage systems.
Analysis on samples from across Scotland has now identified traces in waste water from 12 health board areas. The results have been shared with PHS and areas with positive RNA findings are consistent with the areas known to have confirmed Covid-19 cases.
One such example is Aberdeen, where SEPA’s analysis demonstrates how the prevalence of the virus in waste water samples is mirroring cases in the population. At the beginning of August, SEPA analysed a sample from the Aberdeen area which was positive for Covid-19 RNA. This was consistent with an increase in positive cases in the areas.
On SEPA’s request Scottish Water increased the sampling rate to four times a week to provide more information, and over the following three weeks there was a gradual decline to below the level that concentrations can be detected with sufficient accuracy. Sample results remained at the same level until the end of September when they began to rise again, reflecting PHS data on known cases.
Sample results across the rest of Scotland, including in the Central Belt, continue to be consistent with PHS information on cases in the community. SEPA has made data available for all samples analysed at https://informatics.sepa.org.uk/RNAmonitoring/
Since May SEPA and partners at the Roslin Institute have been refining analysis methods to lower the concentration of RNA that can be reliably detected.
Testing is conducted on incoming waste water samples collected by Scottish Water and its operators at 28 public waste water treatment works across the country, covering all 14 NHS Scotland health board areas. Most locations are tested weekly, but this can be increased when local outbreaks are apparent.
Samples are representative of waste water from between 40-50 percent of the Scottish population and, in combination with community testing, are helping Scotland understand the prevalence and distribution of the virus.
SEPA continues to work with academia and public health officials to understand how this monitoring can be best used to support Scotland’s response to the pandemic.
Terry A’Hearn, SEPA CEO, said: “As Scotland’s environmental watchdog and as a public agency, we remain proud to be playing our part in the national effort to combat coronavirus.
“Our scientific capabilities and expertise in designing and implementing monitoring networks made us ideally suited to delivering this trial and the results we are seeing demonstrate its scientific validity.
“Central to the delivery of this project has been our partnership working Scottish Water and the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute, and we will continue to work closely together to refine our techniques and understanding.
“We’ve received support from across the public sector, agencies and institutions – including a donation of specialist kit from Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture – demonstrating how Scotland is coming together to find ways of tackling this virus.”
SEPA is also assisting UK government scientific advisors, who are engaging with the research community to investigate how waste water monitoring can be used to track the transmission of coronavirus.
Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “In order to manage the coronavirus pandemic, it is vital that we continue to develop our understanding of it, and I welcome this UK-wide programme of research and the development of waste water monitoring to help build our knowledge base.
“SEPA and Scottish Water have translated this experimental programme into a comprehensive, Scotland-wide monitoring network. The early data is already providing our public health experts with new information, which complements the wider population testing programme to give a more robust picture of the prevalence of Covid disease in Scotland.
“I look forward to the programme providing further, valuable data over the coming months to support our fight against the pandemic.”
Scientists at The Roslin Institute have been working with Scottish Water and SEPA to develop robust methodologies for detecting and measuring SARS-CoV-2 genetic material in wastewater.
Funding from the Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW), which is supported by Scottish Government, has allowed scientists in Scotland to work with academic colleagues across the UK to keep pace with international developments in the rapidly expanding field of wastewater epidemiology.
A Scotland-wide network of public water refill taps that allow people to top up their refillable bottles while on the move is being further expanded – with Edinburgh set to get five more.
Scottish Water is confirming it is to install 70 of its distinctive bright blue Top up Taps at locations across Scotland by March 2021 – including sites at Leith Links, Portobello, Royal Mile, West End and Grassmarket.
And with Edinburgh being home to the first tap – at the Scottish Parliament – it means the capital will be leading the way in Scotland as the first city to have six taps.
The news comes as Scottish Water revealed the equivalent of 250,000 plastic bottles have already been saved through people topping up from the current collection of Top up Taps located across Scotland.
And with the go-ahead being given for more taps to be installed, water drinkers are being thanked for their sustainability efforts.
The Top up Taps are part of Scottish Water’s Your Water Your Life campaign which means people keen to stay hydrated on the go can do so free of charge, saving money as well as being kinder to the environment by reducing litter and waste.
Brian Lironi, Director of Corporate Affairs at Scottish Water, said: “We know that people in Scotland share our passion for our country’s great-tasting tap water as well as doing our bit for protecting the environment and improving health. It’s fantastic that our Top up Taps programme remains on track to deliver a national network of 70 refill points by March 2021.
“It means people out and about can stay hydrated by filling up for free with high quality public tap water – this is ‘your’ water after all, so we want to make sure you can enjoy it as easy and often as possible.
“There’s a growing appetite from the public to fill up their reusable bottles, and in these changing times it is more important than ever to take a refillable bottle with you and have your own fresh, clear water while you’re on the go.
“We want to thank Scotland for supporting our Top up Taps and to help to achieve the amazing milestone of reaching the equivalent of 250,000 bottles saved.
“Hopefully it becomes the norm for people to seek out our Top Up Taps around Scotland and take their bottles with them whenever they go out.”
The latest Top up Tap to be added to the roll-out programme is in Leith Links in Edinburgh, where City of Edinburgh Council leader, and Leith councillor, Adam McVey was on hand to be the first to sample the water.
Councillor McVey said: “These five new Top Up Taps across the city will help all of us cut down on single-use plastic and it’s encouraging to hear how well the existing taps have already been used.
“The Council has a strong commitment to reduce plastic in the Capital and expanding the number of points people can refill their own bottles will help us eradicate the use of disposable plastic and ultimately tackle climate change in our city.
“These taps make it even easier for us to stay hydrated in a sustainable way when we’re out and about and I know Edinburgh residents will continue to make great use of the new taps once installed.
“Access to drinking water refilling points is an issue I’ve personally raised with Scottish Water and I’m delighted they’ve been so engaged in helping Edinburgers do their bit to contribute to a green future for our city.”
Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “Long-term initiatives such as Top up Taps are essential in helping to tackle our throwaway culture and in encouraging people to reduce and reuse.
“Single-use plastic products are not only wasteful but generate unnecessary litter that blights our beautiful beaches and green spaces while threatening our wildlife on land and at sea.
“I look forward to seeing the Top up Taps roll out further across Scotland, making them accessible to communities the length and breadth of the country and I would like to thank Scottish Water for taking action on this important issue.
“This drive to cut waste will be further complemented by the introduction of our Deposit Return Scheme – the first scheme of its kind in the UK – which will place a 20p deposit on drinks bottles and cans.
Catherine Gee, Operations Director with Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “The unsustainable production, distribution, consumption and disposal of the thousands of single use items used every day in Scotland is inextricably linked to the most serious environmental challenges of our time – climate change and biodiversity loss.
“And litter exemplifies the disregard we have for disposable items – with two out of five sites in Scotland recording drinks related litter. We welcome the roll out of Scottish Water’s water refill stations which promote reuse and make it easy for people to make more sustainable choices and reduce plastic waste and litter.”
With 26 taps up and running, more than 82,000 litres of water have been dispensed into refillable bottles – it adds up to the same as 250,000 330ml-sized plastic bottles. If laid end-to-end they’d stretch from Edinburgh to Stirling Castle (to check 100%)
The first of the taps was installed in Edinburgh outside the Scottish Parliament exactly two years ago. Since then taps have been turned on from Shetland to the Scottish Borders. The most popular tap of those currently installed is on Glasgow’s Buchanan Street with taps serving the both ends of the West Highland Way, at Milngavie and Fort William, also proving to be highly popular.
Under the roll out, Glasgow is also to get five taps in various locations around the city. Locations elsewhere across Scotland are also being activity progressed.
Each of the distinctive, high-tech water stations is plumbed directly into the public water supply and each has digital tracking technology which logs how much water is being used and how much plastic potentially saved.
Green-fingered gardening enthusiasts are being given expert tips on how to make their gardens bloom while keeping water usage low.
Herbaceous Supervisor at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) Kirsty Wilson, who is also a BBC Beechgrove presenter, is supporting a drive with Scottish Water to remind homeowners of ways to be more environmentally friendly when it comes to gardening.
Kirsty said that although her ‘garden’ at RBGE is 70 acres, there are plenty of methods that people can adopt in their domestic setting to ensure they are not being wasteful with water.
Ensuring water resources are protected and waste reduced is a vital part of how Scottish Water is supporting sustainability, which is being highlighted during Climate Week.
One of the best tips is to water in the morning, which will allow plants to draw from water throughout the day, avoiding anything draining away overnight.
Kirsty said: “We can train our plants to drink water slowly by giving them less water, which will actually encourage them to drink less. In essence, if you keep the glass half full, your plants will adapt and learn to drink more slowly.
“If we swap hoses for watering cans, we can save a lot of water – using a watering can slows the flow of water, meaning more water stays in your plant pot rather than running out of the base.”
People with gardens should avoid watering lawns and grass, as the average lawn will bounce back quickly after a burst of rainfall – which is still always likely in Scotland.
Kirsty, who has also worked at Highgrove House for HRH the Prince of Wales, RBGE’s royal patron, added: “You can make your garden more environmentally friendly by installing a water butt – not only is rainwater better for your plans than mains tap water, it reduces pressure on drains during periods of heavy rain.
“If you don’t have space for a water butt, you can improve how well your soil holds water by adding organic materials like homemade compost, so when it does rain the soil retains more water.
“Water from your household is also ok to use, with care, on your outdoor plants – water from your kitchen, washing machine, baths or showers, is safe to use on most garden plants.”
RBGE is the latest to Join the Wave in supporting Scottish Water’s ‘Your Water Your Life’ campaign, which aims to encourage people to celebrate the country’s precious, natural resource – our Scottish tap water.
According to Kirsty and RBGE, gardens play an important role in preventing surface water from flooding urban areas. Green spaces soak up rain, whereas tarmac and paving can increase the amount of rainwater that runs off into street drains.
RBGE is also pioneering an experimental ‘Raingarden’ which is already proving to be helpful in understanding and planning strategies for coping with unpredictable weather.
Kirsty added: “Longer dry periods followed by heavy downpours are particularly problematic in terms of maintaining plant health and avoiding localised flooding in gardens of all sizes.
“Lawns are simply not effective at soaking up or trapping excess water and the answer does not lie in resorting to concrete or paving. We need to develop different gardening practices. Replacing hard surfaces and grass areas with a mixed selection of herbaceous perennials and shrubs can capture water runoff and increase the wildlife and habitat value of the area. This is a model that can be picked up and adapted to suit the needs of any plot, large or small.”
Brian Lironi, Director of Corporate Affairs at Scottish Water, said: “‘Your Water Your Life’ aims to highlight the importance of water in all of our lives, encouraging us to think about our water usage in a different way.
“Gardens and green spaces played a huge role in our lives during lockdown as a positive place and outlet for many of us to channel our energy. These tips show us how easy it is to keep our gardens green and beautiful while also being mindful of how much water we use.
“As we all strive to reduce the impact of all our activity on the environment and increase biodiversity, using water efficiently, saving it where we can and reducing waste, will really help.”
As Herbaceous Supervisor at RBGE, Kirsty is part of a globally important plant research and conservation horticulture institute, working at home and around the world to combat the impact of the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis.
Kirsty works with scientists and fellow horticulturists, outreach ranges from engaging with students and volunteers to her Beechgrove appearances, leading tours, writing articles, and inspiring citizens of Scotland to make changes for the better.
Parents in Edinburgh are being urged to give their kids an early lesson on the importance of keeping healthy and hydrated as part of their planning on the long-awaited return to school.
Scots health and nutrition expert Amanda Hamilton is supporting a drive by Scottish Water to ensure that every child’s back to school regime includes a reusable water bottle along with the standard new blazer, gym kit and pencil case.
As part of a family’s daily school regime, it is recommended to fill a pupil’s water bottle at home before getting to classes.
Amanda, a mother-of-two and best-selling author, said although parents should be encouraged at all times to educate their children about the benefits of water – but the start of the new school term, especially after the enforced lengthy shutdown of schools, is the perfect platform.
Amanda said: “Ensuring children to have a regular water intake throughout the school day is a vital aspect to maintain good health and a healthy learning environment.
“It has been proven that through drinking water and staying hydrated children are more attentive and focused during lessons for longer periods of time.
“We are lucky to have safe and delicious water from the tap, we should all be making the most of it. For parents trying to wean kids off sugary drinks, it can help to add a slice or orange, lemon or even a sprig of mint to tap water for extra flavour.
“Like many families, in my home we do all we can do reduce the use of plastic. We’ve made it part of the daily routine to re-fill water bottles from the tap.
“By highlighting the benefits of a reusable water bottle and filling up from the tap, we are helping to instil in children the small daily habits that can make a big difference. The reality is that this is a message for all ages – so using a reusable water bottle is just as applicable for staff returning to workplaces too.”
The advice comes as Scottish Water continues to expand its ‘Your Water Your Life’ campaign which aims to encourage people to top up from the tap to benefit the environment, their health and their pocket.
Brian Lironi, Director of Corporate Affairs at Scottish Water, said: ‘Your Water Your Life’ aims to highlight the importance water plays in the lives of people across Scotland.
“Every child needs to be aware of the benefits of a reusable water bottle – and of just how easy it is to use one to top up with tap water and so continue to enjoy the benefits of our nation’s greatest natural asset.
“We’d always encourage parents and children to make sure they have a water bottle included as a key part of their back-to-school planning, in the same way as sorting out new trainers or a school bag.”
To encourage people to stay hydrated on the go, a network of Top up Taps is being installed by Scottish Water throughout the country. Nearly 30 taps are already sited – the first one being outside the Scottish Parliament – and the aim is to have 70 taps installed at public spaces by March 2021.
Major Investment at Seafield Waste Water Treatment Works
Major investment is planned for the country’s biggest waste water treatment works so it can serve the growing needs of Scotland’s capital city. The news has been welcomed by local MSP Ben Macpherson.
Scottish Water will carry out improvements to the Seafield Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW) in Edinburgh, which processes 300 million litres of waste water every day, to help improve operational resilience and mitigate potential odours at the facility and support the city’s growing population.
Following an independent review, a number of recommendations were made for the site and these improvements have been delivered.
In addition to measures already taken, Scottish Water’s further investment of about £10 million in improved sludge storage will be delivered during a new investment programme, which starts in 2021.
This follows a review of treatment capacity in the region which has established that Seafield and Newbridge WWTWs can accommodate forecast growth in the region until at least 2029, after which there will need to be a review of further required investment at that time.
Scottish Water will work with its partners in the Edinburgh and Lothians Drainage Partnership (ELDP) to reduce the amount of surface water entering our sewers and volumes arriving at Seafield WWTW, and to mitigate climate change risks.
Scottish Water is committed to minimising odour issues in the area of the Seafield WWTW and is working closely with its operating partners, Veolia, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Edinburgh City Council.
Douglas Millican, Scottish Water’s Chief Executive, said: “Scottish Water has already completed a lot of the work that was recommended in the independent review and we are committed to working with the community going forward to ensure that the planned investment and future investment is done in partnership.
“We are bringing forward this investment in extra sludge storage to help with odour risk management and we are confident that, as strategically important sites, Seafield WWTW and Newbridge WWTW can accommodate additional waste water to meet the needs of a growing region.”
He added: “Scottish Water is committed to working with stakeholders on our short-term investment and in developing options for Seafield WWTW in the long-term.”
Ben Macpherson, constituency MSP and Chair of the Seafield Stakeholder Group welcomed the planned Scottish Water investment at Seafield WWTW.
He said: “I very much welcome this £10 million of major investment by Scottish Water to upgrade the Seafield Waste Water Treatment Works and minimise odour issues in the area.
“I pay tribute to all of the Stakeholder Group for helping to secure this investment, and particularly the local Community Council and Residents’ Association who, along with others including myself, have campaigned for improvements over several years.
“Following the recent independent review of the site and surrounding networks, I’m pleased that Scottish Water is implementing the recommendations and that our Stakeholder Group has made a positive impact.
“This investment should make a meaningful difference towards addressing the odour issues that occur in Leith, and improve the performance of the Seafield Waste Water Treatment Works for the benefit of Edinburgh as a whole.”
Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, said: “This latest investment from Scottish Water into our biggest waste water treatment works, is an important step in improving operational resilience and ensuring the site continues to serve the growing needs of our capital city.”
PARENTS in Edinburgh are being encouraged to send children with disabilities to swimming lessons as it is a life skill.
Scottish Swimming has launched its #SeeMyAbility campaign to get parents to talk more openly about their child’s disability and encourage them to put their children into mainstream swimming classes.
Scottish Swimming and Scottish Water – who are partners in Learn to Swim – provide a progressive pathway for children with physical, sensory and learning impairments.
The programme is delivered by aquatic providers across Scotland and locally by Edinburgh Leisure.
The Inclusion campaign was launched by Learn to Swim ambassador and multi-medal winning para-athlete Toni Shaw who came through a mainstream Learn to Swim programme before joining swimming club Cults Otters.
Paul Wilson, Disability Performance Development Manager, Scottish Swimming said: “Scottish Swimming’s vision is ‘everyone can swim’ and learning to swim is an activity for all regardless of ability or disability, and the whole swimming pathway can be taught in an inclusive way.
“Swimming is an important life skill and can be great fun in a group environment. This should be no different for a child with a disability.”
Brian Lironi, Director of Corporate Affairs, Scottish Water, said: “Children with disabilities should have the same opportunities in their lessons, as swimming can offer so much and is an important life skill.
“As we aim to roll the Learn to Swim programme out to 100,000 children across Scotland, we’re making sure that we’re offering inclusive opportunities for all children to become safe and competent in and around water.”
As part of the campaign, swimming teachers and coaches will be provided with a resource toolkit that will help them teach and coach in an inclusive way throughout the whole aquatic pathway from Learn to Swim through to clubs and at the performance level.
Angela McCowan, Aquatics Manager at Edinburgh Leisure, said: “We teach all children in an inclusive way at Edinburgh Leisure and it is great to get these additional resources to support our swimming teachers as we continue to grow our programme.”
Edinburgh Leisure delivers the Learn to Swim programme at 10 pools across the city, teaching children from birth upwards.
Toni said: “I’m really proud to be an ambassador for the Learn to Swim Framework and really pleased that children with a disability are taught in inclusive learn to swim environments. If there’s someone with a disability and the swimming teachers are aware of the impairment the lessons can be adapted.
“It’s great to develop as a swimmer and be seen beyond my disability. This has helped me integrate into a performance environment where I get to train alongside other world-class athletes.”
Scottish Swimming continue to work in partnership with Scottish Disability Sport to provide opportunities along the full aquatic pathway.
Gavin MacLeod, CEO at Scottish Disability Sport, said: “Scottish Swimming is a great example of a sport’s governing body that is committed to and actively delivering their sport in an inclusive way and this is particularly prominent with their work around the Learn to Swim Framework and engagement with local partners.”
The National Learn to Swim Framework aims to raise standards and achieve consistency in swimming programmes across Scotland.
More information on the National Learn to Swim Framework and #SeeMyAbility can be found on the dedicated website: www.learntoswim.scot
Scottish Water’s partnership with Scottish Swimming to promote the Learn to Swim programme, which aims to help 100,000 children across the country become confident swimmers.
Scottish Water has informed residents that a section of Easter Drylaw Drive will be closed to traffic for three weeks to allow essential repairs to the sewer network to take place.
The work will begin on Thursday 25 October and is expected to last three weeks.
All local footpaths will remain open but road traffic will be diverted via Easter Drylaw Place and Easter Drylaw View.
