SNP allowing thousands of sewage spills in Argyll & Bute
SNP allowing thousands of sewage spills in Argyll & Bute
Scottish Liberal Democrats candidate for Argyll & Bute, Alan Reid has today warned that the SNP government have overseen thousands of sewage spills into Argyll & Bute’s rivers, lochs and seashores every year.
Figures from Scottish Water reveal that across the Scottish Parliament constituency of Argyll & Bute, in 2023 sewage was dumped 2,412 times for a duration of 24,211 hours and in 2024 sewage was dumped 2,693 times for a duration of 18,648 hours.
Scottish Liberal Democrats have launched plans for a Clean Water Act that would see:
• Scotland’s Victorian sewage network updated;
• Every sewage dump monitored and published with binding targets for their reduction;
• A blue flag system for Scotland’s rivers;
• A complete ban on the release of sewage in protected areas such as bathing waters.
• The proposals for Scotland are part of a UK-wide campaign by the Liberal Democrats to clean up waterways and get governments to take action.
In June, the Scottish Government was rebuked by its own watchdog, Environmental Standards Scotland, after SNP ministers rejected their calls to urgently overhaul sewage dumping rules. You can read more about that here.
Over 6 months later, the Scottish Government has still not yet overhauled sewage dumping rules.
Alan Reid said:
“The Scottish Government are allowing sewage spills to pollute our rivers and lochs across Argyll & Bute. We are one of the worst affected constituencies in Scotland but the SNP won’t lift a finger.
“If you’re playing with your kids or your grandkids or going for a walk with your dog, you don’t want them playing in toilet waste and pollution.
“We’ve had an SNP MSP for almost 20 years but the situation is getting worse.
"To turn the tide on the sewage scandal, Scottish Liberal Democrats have published plans for a Clean Water Act that would bring our sewage network into the 21st century, clamp down on dumping and get to the bottom of this disgusting practice.
“At the election, Argyll & Bute will be a two-horse race between the SNP and the Scottish Liberal Democrats. If you elect me as your MSP you will get a hardworking local champion who is focused on getting the sewage out of our rivers and delivering change with fairness at its heart.”
