Sheriff Raps Firm in Sewage Spill
A FIRM that discharged 120millionlitres of sewage in the Firth of Forth after pumps failed have been fined pounds 13,500.
Veolia Water – formerly Thames Water – discharged the sewage at the Seafield water treatment works in Edinburgh last April.
The accident caused a foul smell to engulf the Seafield and Leith areas and Scottish Water had hundreds of complaints about water quality.
Sewage spilled into the Forth over 64 hours as engineers tried to fix the pumps.
But tests carried out after the accident showed no damage to wildlife in the area and that the Forth met European standards for bathing water.
Yesterday at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, the Reading firm admitted causing screened sewage to be discharged into the Firth of Forth without authority.
Sheriff Janys Scott criticised them for failing to have a contingency plan for both their pumps failing.
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