Scotland convicts sewage ‘fly tipper’

A tanker driver who dumped raw sewage into a storm drain has become one of the first people to be convicted under new legislation introduced north of the border.


Last Thursday, May 24, Stirling Sheriff Court found William McCall of Nethergreen Terrace, Renfrew, guilty of offences under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2005, which came into effect last April.

The court heard how McCall, without the knowledge of his employers, had poured the contents of a septic tank down a manhole which fed into a culverted stream., wiping out virtually all the aquatic life.

The stream carried the sewage through a garden and eventually into the River Fillan, part of the River Tay Special Area of Conservation.

Officers from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) investigated after receiving complaints from residents and found a significant amount of solid sewage in the watercourse.

“Ecology samples revealed that the sewage caused significant environmental damage to the watercourse in Crianlarich. It also resulted in several complaints from residents, some of whom had to leave their home due to the smell from the sewage on the day of the incident,” said Calum McGregor, the investigating officer for SEPA.

“This incident was not caused as a result of an accident; it was caused when someone deliberately tried to dispose of sewage illegally.”

The Control of Pollution Act 1974 (As Amended) was replaced on 1 April 2006 by The Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2005.

These regulations include the controls over activities which pose a threat to the water environment.

Sam Bond

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