Just been down to Porty beach and there's a few very pathetic signs up stating that the water may be unsafe and to avoid the beach !
) and that the effluent is very diluted (if one is to believe what I read i the SoS today).E coli too from what I heard in one news report?rapunzell wrote:The basic risks from raw sewage spills are: worms, skin infections, gastroenteritis, eye infections, but they all need direct contact with, ingestion of or immersion in quite strongly contaminated water. Immediate thorough washing is usually enough to avoid trouble though.
15. Navvy / 4:08am 23 Apr 2007
The excellent Scotsman has now supplied much more detail than the BBC
"A large 10m-long, 1.5m-diameter screw pump failed in the onsite pumping station at Seafield Wastewater Treatment Works. "
This type of pump has been used in sewage treatment works for many years.
They are simple consisting of a submerged lower bearing, a long screw and an upper bearing and electric drive motor. They are very robust and can pump solids such as nappies, pads and even dead dogs. Generally they sit in an open concrete channel, though the channel might be covered these days. They are used to pump the incoming raw sewage which arrives at a low level because the incoming sewer is below street level, to a higher level to allow gravity flow in the treatment plant.
It sounds as though there is a problem with the bottom bearing because it was mentioned on one news site that they needed to pump out the well.
If the sewage has to be diverted then it goes through a mechanical screen to remove the nappies. I doubt turds will be removed but they will probably be broken up.
Since the pump only serves part of Edinburgh's sewage then the net result to the Firth will be going back some years
to before Seafield was commissioned. I remember sailing on the Firth in the late 60s and seeing turds floating around. We never got sick then so I imagine that the risk is very low. In those days the sludge derived from the treatment was taken by the good ship Gardyloo and dumped off the Isle of May
My advice is not to panic. It is possible to have a spare pump fully set up. This would require a large area and mmore channels, gates and valves withing the plant.
The question to ask is how are these pumps normally maintained. What happens when one is taken out of service for planned maintenance? Where does the sh-one-t go then?
Failure of pumping equipment at Seafield Waste Water Treatment Plant
We were notified at 5.10pm on Friday that there had been a failure of the pumping equipment at Seafield Wastewater Treatment Plant. We reported the matter to to the relevant enforcement agency, SEPA, at approximately 5.30pm.
We had been informed that work was underway to resolve the failure of the equipment and that updates would be provided as to Scottish Water and Thames Water’s progress with this matter. As a positive response, the Community Safety Night Time Team erected precautionary warning notices in the Portobello area to advise members of the public to avoid contact with the water, to refrain from removing any items from the water or shoreline and to adopt strict handwashing procedures after being in the area. The notices were erected in this location due to the information received from Thames Water that there had been a failure at Albion Road.
Environmental Wardens were briefed and were on site to erect further notices and provide face to face briefings at 8am on Saturday morning. The Council also undertook to clarify the exact source of the failure and did so with Scottish Water and Thames Water throughout Saturday morning.
We were fully appraised of the specific source of the mechanical failure and emergency outfall at Albert Road on Saturday as there had been a miscommunication of the specific source. In addition, at this time Thames Water indicated that further investigations on site had revealed that there had been a catastrophic failure and that the situation was more serious than had been earlier assessed.
Throughout the course of Saturday additional officers were called in and provided face to face public health advice to residents and visitors along the full length of the shoreline in Edinburgh. Our advice is for people to avoid themselves or their pets coming into contact with the water and not to remoe any items from the water, including stones, shells, fish and any shellfish.
Additional warning notices were erected – approximately 100 in total.
Confirmation was provided that SEPA had contacted Fife Council and officers from Edinburgh contacted East Lothian Council’s emergency officers. In addition, the Council Leader, Chief Executive and two local elected members were briefed as to the ongoing situation.
In addition, a press statement was prepared and agreed and then disseminated to the general media.
Approximately 40 officers were on site from 6.30am to 9.00pm yesterday.
We are convening a key stakeholders’ meeting at 12 noon at our request at the Seafield Wastewater Treatment Plant with representatives from Scottish Water, Thames Water, relevant councils, Forth Ports, SEPA, the FSA and the Harbour Master.
Update re: Failure of pumping equipment at Seafield Waste Water Treatment Plant
The flow of untreated sewage into the Forth was successfully halted at 10am this morning with suitable replacement pumps being put in place. The sewage is now going through the treatment plant at Seafield.
The works are of a temporary nature until such time as full replacements can be procured and installed by Thames Water, the operator of the plant.
The Council has been informed by SEPA, the relevant enforcement agency in situations relating to sewage disposal, that they have started taking water samples to identify the level of contamination along the Forth Estuary coastline and this work will include samples from Cramond, Silverknowes, Portobello West and Portobello Central. The sampling process will determine whether human pathogens are still present in the water. Further samples will be taken from boat samples in the middle of the Firth to assess the bacteriological quality of the water. The Council will also be undertaking sampling along Edinburgh’s coastline to ensure that a comprehensive set of results is available.
It will take a few days before these results are known and during that time it is advised that a precautionary principle is adopted that risk could occur, rather than take any chance that the water is safe.
Further work is also being undertaken by SEPA and the FSA in relation to the dispersal model for the quantity of sewage which escaped, matched against the tidal patterns and this work will let us know how long it will take until sewage is naturally removed and the water is back to its normal standard.
The Council has been advised by the Health Protection Agency that the approach it took was correct and consistent with good practice in protecting the public health and has been advised to continue with this due diligence until the water is given the all clear.
To this end, the Council will continue to erect signs (of a more permanent nature) and continue with a presence at Cramond, Silverknowes, Portobello West and Portobello Central to advise members of the public.
The FSA has issued a Food Hazard Warning advising that all fish and shellfish caught or harvested in the Firth of Forth from Friday should be treated as being potentially contaminated.
The Council will continue to re-emphasise to the public that there may be a continued risk to visitors to the beach or people participating in water sports that contamination could occur. This advice will be issued through regular press briefings and updates on the Council’s website if necessary.
Eeek, what an amazingly depressing and bleak set of photos. The "lack of people" is more to do with scale and the weather. As they say, a photo can tell a hundred lies! The beach was suprisingly busy on Saturday, and to a lesser degree Sunday.
Most media reports suggested around 100 million litres.Porty wrote:How much stuff has poured out? Last night on newsnight scotland Gordon Brewer saod it was 100 billion tonnes. Surely not?
Was going to drag myself outside from my sickbed on your behalf, SoupD, but through my binos (which, Marya, TG et al, are used for birdie peepingSoupDragon wrote:See theres now bigger notices gone up. Fixed metal on poles
Haven't been down to see what they say yet,
) I can see that it is PRECAUTIONARY ADVICE re not going into sea, not to take anything off the beach, washing your hands, etc, seeking medical attention if you don't feel well. I can't read what it says about why. Media Release
23 April 2007
For Immediate Release
Seafield Waste Water Works - Update
The flow of screened sewage from Seafield Waste Water Treatment Works into the Forth has now stopped as temporary pumps have now been successfully fitted.
Seafield is owned and operated by Thames Water under contract to Scottish Water.
Waste water is now being treated on site as teams continue to work with Council Environmental Health and SEPA following a major failure of a waste water pump on Friday 20 April.
Flows into the Forth were screened as Thames used emergency overflow facilities. These are designed to protect the public. The flows into Seafield cannot be stopped without causing problems for the City and the emergency overflow was used under agreed procedures with SEPA after a failure of equipment. The partially treated waste water was discharged into the Forth. This is in line with UK practice.
This removed solids and meant waste water flows would dilute more effectively when entering the Forth. This avoided the alternative of putting sewage flows onto the streets which was not an option.
Staff from Thames Water, who operate the site, have been working relentlessly throughout the weekend. Seafield Waste Water Treatment Works is the largest treatment centre in Edinburgh. In order to cope with the volume of flows entering the system, the type of pumps used, are immense in size.
The temporary pumps now in place with teams of engineers working round the clock to install these vital pieces of equipment.
John Rae, General Manager for Customer Operations said: “We apologise to customers for this incident. The focus has been to get these repairs made and stop the flow of sewage as quickly as possible.
“We have been liaising with City of Edinburgh Council Environmental Health and SEPA throughout and this will continue until this incident is fully resolved.”
We will be asking Thames Water to carry out a full inquiry and give us a full report on the results.
Customers wanting more information can contact Scottish Water Customer Helpline on 0845 600 8855.
There are some strange people about - if they are told not to do something they'll do it!!!SoupDragon wrote:Thanks Poppy I took a walk to see what they said.
There a certainly a lot more noticeable
But I still saw a group of about 4 people at the waters edge putting their hands in the sea.
Maybe they're students who want to be let off exams due to D+V
Basically don't eat the sand , don't drink the water
Ps sorry you're feeling poorly Poppy
