Tag: Seafield Sewage Works

Seafield Update, Good news for local residents?

Leith Links Community Council and Leith Links Residents Association received the following excellent news yesterday from local MSP Ben MacPherson that Scottish Government now realise that something has to be done at the Seafield plant. You just have to travel round the city to see the number of new housing developments and villages like Wallyford doubling in size. All these new houses feed into the same sewage network which ends at Seafield. Leaving out politics this is good news for Leith residents who for years have had to put up with the great stink from the sewage treatment plant

Although we welcome this news Leith Links Community Council will continue to monitor the situation and we ask that you play your part by reporting odour incidents through our website.

The next meeting of the Seafield Stakeholder group takes place on 28th September when we will hear directly from Scottish Water on their plans for the future.

Ben said in his email

I’m writing to make you aware, if you aren’t already, that Seafield has been referenced in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2018-2019.

https://news.gov.scot/news/delivering-for-today-investing-for-tomorrow-1

On page 58 it states:

We have identified that the sewerage systems serving Edinburgh and the surrounding area are facing particular challenges which will be exacerbated by the prospective population growth in the area and climate change. A recent study has shown how the performance of the main treatment works at Seafield is impacted by events elsewhere on the network. It is vital that a sound strategy is developed to meet these challenges and ensure that in future the networks operate efficiently and support the continuing economic growth of the area. We have therefore asked Scottish Water to work with local authorities in the area and SEPA to review future waste water treatment needs in the area in order to guide future investment planning.

This is testament to all the work that you and the community have put in to press the issues with Seafield.

While together we will keep pressing for short-term action too, this commitment from government will develop medium-to-long term strategies and solutions.

I also believe it is an opportunity for Edinburgh to consider Seafield within the wider Waterfront vision and opportunities.

We can discuss more on the 28th but I wanted to write to congratulate you both as soon as possible.

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Scottish Water Apology to Community

Scottish Water finally put out an apology today after receiving several emails from me on behalf of the community council and those who live in the community.Scottish Water should we aware that there is an ongoing issue with odour emissions from Seafield due to the high number of complaints forwarded to them, local elected members, SEPA and City Of Edinburgh Council by you, the public.

The apology reads

Scottish Water is aware of an elevated level of odour related issues in the Leith Links area and would like to sincerely apologise to customers for the inconvenience this is causing. 

During the unprecedented long spell of hot and dry weather the site operator Veolia has been taking all steps to ensure the operating conditions at Seafield WWTW are optimised including management of sludge levels. Veolia has progressed and implemented the agreed network related actions contained within the Strategic Odour Review.  In addition, Scottish Water is checking operations within its wider network which connects to Seafield WwTW.

We are continuing to review what other measures may be implemented to address the situation during this period of dry weather and again we apologise for the inconvenience caused to customers.

The apology could have been copy and pasted from previous similar emails. Leith Links Community Council and Leith Links Residents Association are well aware of what causes the problem. City of Edinburgh Council sending out highly trained noses to agree or disagree with local residents over how strong and unpleasant a smell of sewage is no longer acceptable. If you as a local resident are effectively trapped in your house because of disgusting smells then that to me is totally unacceptable.

Last Tuesday there was a programme on BBC2 called Inside the Factory which showed the process of making toilet paper. During the programme they also visited the sewage works that services Brighton. What was the difference between Seafield and Brighton? All the areas that could cause odour emissions are covered.

Veolia who operate Seafield under a PFI contract from Scottish Water seem powerless to stop the stink. They are well aware of the problem because it’s not new and happens year after year.

How do we solve it? Money, lots of money to cover the settlement tanks at Seafield and reducing odour emissions by covering the areas where the sludge gathers and becomes septic. In these weather conditions sewage can become septic in the network because there’s not the usual rainfall to flush it through so it’s probably arriving at Seafield already septic and producing the honk.

I have been in contact with Ben MacPherson MSP to arrange a meeting with the community council and residents association. We will be lobbying for a move to demand that Scottish Government provide the necessary funding for work to be done on the plant.

15000 people were at Easter Road last night to watch the football and they could smell the sewage. What a wonderful advert for our capital city when visitors from Greece are greeted by the smell of excrement.

Please continue to report the Great Stink and tell your friends to do it. You can be sure that politicians do pay attention when they receive lots of emails reporting the stench especially when election time isn’t too far away.

Thanks

Jim

 

 

 

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Pongs from Seafield Sewage

We are all sick of the horrible smells from Seafield, and it is even worse in lovely weather when we would like to sit outside (or even just have our windows open). In spite of the recent commissioned review, there are no signs of improvement lately – we have had a very smelly week!  One thing HAS improved though. We have been asking for this for years, and at last it is now a bit easier to report these disgusting smells that ruin our quality of life. Many households have had a leaflet and contacts card delivered from the Public Health Department. Use that contact if you wish. Or, if you don’t feel like phoning, click on ‘Report it Here’ in the yellow box  (above, below, or side bar, depending on your device) to use our own new web-based form.

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SMELL WARNING!

LLCC has just been informed by the Managers at Seafield that essential maintenance work is being carried out at the plant on 23-24 May that may lead to bad smells, especially given the forecast for onshore winds.

See full message here.

This is obviously bad news for the Leith Links area (is the effect of smells worse when it’s unexpected, or when a warning has been issued…?)  but at least Seafield operators are taking seriously the message that they need to communicate with the local community.

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SEAFIELD SEWAGE WORKS STINK

Over the past few weeks there has been an increase in odour emissions from Seafield. It’s disgusting and ruins local residents’ enjoyment of this good spell of weather. I’m disappointed to report that Veolia have been slow to react to public concerns and if SEPA and City of Edinburgh Council have taken any action they haven’t communicated that to the community council or local residents association who have been working hard on your behalf for many years. Rob Kirkwood from Leith Links Residents Association and I will be meeting with Ben MacPherson MSP on Monday evening to raise our concerns. I will then give you a full update on where we go from here.

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Seafield Burning Smell

After the Community Council was contacted by local residents about a burning smell coming from Seafield I contacted Scottish Water and received the following response.

“Veolia have confirmed that at around 18:00 on Sunday, a blockage was detected within part of the sludge treatment process.  This unexpected issue meant that one stream within the process had to be taken offline so that the problem could be quickly resolved.  A short controlled release of air from the thermal hydrolysis plant was required so that personnel could safely gain access to carry out the repair.  This release of air lasted for around 30 minutes.  This early intervention to fix the issue minimised the impact on operations and any longer term potential impact on the community.

This short release of air briefly caused an odour that was detected in localised areas within the community.  Veolia apologise for the impact this had on the local community but would like to reassure you that this is not a routine event, and that there were no other equipment problems at the time, including the siloxane filter. 

In assessing and responding to the query, Veolia have been undertaking spot checks out in the community at various times today and feel that the issue described above has been addressed.”

Veolia and Scottish Water want to be good neighbours so I’ve asked them to review their communication system with the public. As Scottish Water have said the incident was unexpected and dealt with quickly but  they have to keep the public informed.

Both Scottish Water and Veolia who operate the plant have websites to make the public aware and I have also suggested they contact me so that the CC can post on this site to make the locals who suffer the most aware of what’s going on.

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Community Response on Seafield Odour Nuisance Report

Last month, independent consultants commissioned by Scottish Government published their draft review of Seafield Wastewater treatment works. The full draft report is 100+ pages but there is a readable summary, with short, medium and long term recommendations.

Leith Links Community Council, in partnership with Leith Links Residents Association, is submitting a Community Response to that draft report. You can read this response here LLRA-LLCC VERSION 2 Response to Seafield Strategic Odour Review Final Version (1)

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Urgent – we need YOUR views on Seafield smell plans – and we need them NOW!

As the joys of Christmas recede and while those of Hogmanay are still to come – let’s all think about sewage! And odour nuisance from Seafield.

Last month, consultants commissioned by Scottish Government published their draft review of Seafield Wastewater treatment works. The full draft report is 100+ pages but there is a readable summary, with short, medium and long term recommendations.
Click here to read: Seafield summary
(The full Draft Report is available on the Scottish Water website, accessible here: www.scottishwater.co.uk/seafield)

Leith Links Community Council, in partnership with Leith Links Residents Association, is preparing to submit a Community Response to this draft report. This is a major opportunity for the local community, who have been suffering from these dreadful smells for years, to have a say directly into shaping the future policies and actions of government and city council.

Leith Links Community Council would greatly welcome YOUR views and comments on the draft review and its recommendations. You can use the Comments form on this website, or drop us an email (Feedback), or comment via the LLCC Facebook Page or Twitter (@LeithLinks_CC), and we will incorporate your views into the Community Response (anonymous unless you specifically ask to be named).

Time is very short!

Indirect comments, via LLCC, should reach us if possible by Monday 8th January, 2018.
Members of the public can make their thoughts known directly to the consultants by e:mail to seafield-draft@cranfield.ac.uk  Direct comments to the consultants should be submitted by Friday, January 12, 2018.

Thank you!

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Seafield Consultation

Last week we attended a meeting with the consultants, amec foster wheeler and Cranfield University who had been appointed to carry out the strategic odour review of Seafield Wastewater treatment works. The community now have until 12th January to make comments. LLCC will be meeting with Leith Links Residents Association and elected City councillors to formulate our response. Members of the public can also make their thoughts known directly to the consultants but the CC would welcome any comments to be included in our submission and these would be treated in confidence

The full draft report has over 100 pages but the consultants also prepared a summary which I’ve also attached. Seafield summary

The summary includes short, medium and long term recommendations which we will be commenting about after discussion with LLRA.

The Draft Report is available on the Scottish Water website, accessible here: www.scottishwater.co.uk/seafield

Comments should be submitted by e:mail to seafield-draft@cranfield.ac.uk no later than Friday, January 12, 2018.

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