SNP and Green ministers have been accused of presiding over “fiefdoms of filth” after new data revealed sewage being dumped for thousands of hours in their backyards.
The Lib Dems said their new “sewage league table” showed filthy wastewater had spewed into Public Health Minister Jenni Minto’s Argyll and Bute constituency for more than 22,000 hours in 2023.
In second place, environment chief Mairi McAllan saw sewage piped into the environment in her Clydesdale constituency for a shocking 19,550 hours last year.
Greens minister Patrick Harvie saw the greatest volume of sewage dumps, with 6,363,898 m³ of waste pumped into waters in his Glasgow region, the equivalent of 2500 Olympic swimming pools.
First Minister Humza Yousaf also saw a staggering 1,526,743 m³ of sewage dumped in his Glasgow Pollok backyard.
These figures are likely to be underestimates because only a fraction of discharges from the Scottish sewage network are monitored, the Lib Dems said.
Party chief Alex Cole-Hamilton hit out: “SNP and Green ministers, including the First Minister, are presiding over fiefdoms of filth.
“I think constituents of SNP and Green MSPs would be shocked to know that their representatives are sitting idle while massive amounts of sewage are dumped in their communities for hours on end.
“While they do nothing, customers are facing huge price rises from the government-owned water company and its executives are pocketing bumper bonuses.
“To make matters worse, a tiny proportion of sewage pipes are properly monitored, so the true picture is probably even grubbier.”
He added: “Scottish Liberal Democrats know that this is a scandal afflicting every corner of the country, and that’s why my party have published plans for a Clean Water Act that would see vital updates to our sewage network and a clamp down on discharges.
“Whether it’s in Glasgow, the Borders or the North East, our parliamentarians and campaigners will continue putting pressure on the government to clean up its act.”
We previously told how sewage spills hit a new record last year with a shocking 21,660 overflow incidents in 2023 - an average of 59 per day.
Top news stories today
But with just a fraction of overflow pipes monitored in Scotland - compared to nearly all in England - there are around a dozen council areas with little to no tracking of sewage discharges.
Scottish Water has pledged to deliver 1000 additional monitors by the end of 2024 - and said the higher rates of overflows last year were due to heavier rain,
It also stresses nearly 90 per cent of Scotland’s rivers and lochs are classed as in good ecological condition.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Overflows from sewers are wastewater which has been highly diluted by rainwater, and which normally consists of less than 1 per cent toilet waste. To suggest otherwise is a misrepresentation.
“However we are not complacent, seek ongoing improvement and continue to work closely with SEPA and Scottish Water to monitor and improve water quality.
“Scottish Water is taking action and is committing up to £500m to improve water quality, increase monitoring of the highest priority waters and tackle debris and spills.”
To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here.
