A PLEA has been made to villagers to dispose of household chemical waste responsibly after contaminated water was found in a local waste water treatment works.

Scottish Water operates the Tyninghame Waste Water Treatment Works which treats all the domestic waste in the village.

Recently, an “unusual white-coloured effluent”, believed to be paint, entered the drainage system.

A spokeswoman for Scottish Water said: “Waste liquids and chemicals from individual home maintenance jobs may appear insignificant but they have the potential to cause problems and lead to pollution if discharged into the drainage system.”

Chemical substances in the water entering the treatment plant have the capacity to damage the internal workings of the plant and clog up the system, as well as causing serious environmental harm to the surrounding sea and rivers.

A letter has been sent to the residents of Tyninghame to ask they comply with the rules and regulations when disposing of waste liquids or chemicals and not to pour them down sinks or drains.

The spokeswoman added: “One of the simplest things we can all do to help prevent drains, sewer flooding and pollution of local rivers and burns is to only flush the three Ps down the loo: pee, poo and toilet paper. Everything else should be put in the bin.”

For more information, visit www.scottishwater.co.uk/cycle