Anglers warn of ‘environmental disaster’ for the River Esk and local community

They allege that untreated sewage and iron ore deposits from old mine workings were entering the water – fearing wildlife such as otters, kingfishers, salmon, sea trout and swans down-river were under threat.

Marc Anderson, president of Musselburgh and District Angling Association, claimed the present situation was “an environmental disaster for the Esk and the local community” and called for action to be taken now to protect the river.

He highlighted an ongoing issue near Newbattle Abbey on the South Esk, where there is a Combined Sewage Outflow (CSO) just below the A7.

He claimed: “When these CSOs open up, we have thousands of litres of untreated sewage flowing into the river. This contains tampons, sanitary towels, condoms and excrement. We have even found incontinence sheets.”

He said there had been “many occurrences” when this CSO has been releasing when there was little to no rain, leaving the river covered in debris.

He claimed: “The most recent incident was on April 30 when so much sewage water was released that the river level in Musselburgh rose by 2cm. This was clearly a massive dump which raised the level at Newbattle by nearly a foot and flowed for approximately six hours.”

“There is a further CSO on the Mary Burn that enters the South Esk at Newbattle which has been experiencing the exact same issues for years.”

Mr Anderson highlighted an “ongoing issue” with Junkies Adit, just below Woodburn, where there was an overflow from the coal mining era which was used to discharge water from Bilston mines.

He claimed the “toxic water” was full of dissolved heavy metals, adding that it had now been “continually pouring into the South Esk at a rate of tens of thousands of gallons a day.”

“At the present the river bed is covered in iron ore deposits as far down as the confluence of the two rivers at the bottom of Dalkeith Country Park. It is only a matter of time before this reaches Musselburgh and has the same effect,” he claimed.

The Scottish Water spokesperson said the combined sewers were usually one single pipe that combined both waste water from homes and businesses and surface water from roofs and gutters.

She explained: “During heavy rainfall storms, when more water is getting into these pipes than they can cope with, they have been designed with relief mechanisms, known as Combined Sewer Overflows. Usually, this only happens when there’s been heavy rain, so any water that is released into rivers or the sea is unlikely to cause environmental damage. These are vital to ensure sewer systems don’t back up, flooding homes, businesses, streets, and open spaces from manholes, drains and toilets.”

She said: “The levels of untreated sewage in storm water that is discharged is very dilute so is unlikely to cause harm to the environment. SEPA monitor and take samples from the watercourses to understand if there is any impact to the environment.

“What can impact the environment from CSOs discharging is when there are items which have wrongly been flushed down the toilet mixed in with the storm water.”

She added: “There is a CSO outfall to the River Esk near the A7, Lothian Bridge. There was a brief spike in the waste water level on April 30. This ties in with a burst of heavy rainfall in the area at the time and caused a short duration spill of surface water from the network into the river. We investigated that day and carried out a clean-up at the outfall, and CSO screens. It would be impossible for sewage to have raised the river by 2cm.

“What can happen is that, after periods of hot weather when there is sudden rainfall, the water tends to wash off surfaces like earth as they are so dry. This is what can cause flash flooding CSOs to spill and discolouration.”

In relation to the Mary Burn CSO, “significant work” was done to clean up previous spills and improve screening to prevent items entering the water.

Thomas Mills, head of environment at the Coal Authority, said rising water levels in the mine workings have been monitored since mining at Bilston ended in 1989 and, until recently, there was some uncertainty on the location that the mine water would reach the surface.

He explained: “Prior to April 2020, the impact of an old mine water discharge on the South Esk had always remained localised but the sustained period of dry weather since March has seen river levels fall. The reduction in river flow and the recently increased flow of mine water means that the orange discolouration in the river has become much more visible.

“Mine water contains naturally occurring metals, such as iron, from the mined rocks. When mine water is released into a river, the iron that is present in the water settles on the bed of the river causing the orange staining.

“The Coal Authority, in conjunction with SEPA, are undertaking comprehensive monitoring and plans to install a £1 million temporary treatment scheme that will clean the mine water before it enters the river.”

Chris Dailly, SEPA’s head of environmental performance, said: “SEPA received several complaints in relation to pollution from Bonnyrigg Esk Valley CSO (near Newbattle Abbey) on April 30, 2020. Scottish Water was instructed to investigate and discovered there had been a discharge coinciding with a burst of rainfall in the area. SEPA officers are liaising with Scottish Water so that we can better understand the circumstances surrounding this event, the sensitivity to levels of rainfall and the outcome of sewer modelling as soon as this is completed.

“In relation to the CSO on the Mary Burn, SEPA investigated all reports of sewage debris and was clear with Scottish Water that compliance with environmental regulations is non-negotiable. The indications are the sewer cleaning and repair work it carried out has been effective as there have been no recent reports of problematic discharges. Scottish Water is reviewing options for further improvements and will review these with SEPA.”

Turning to the mine water, he commented: “The Coal Authority is progressing towards temporary and permanent mine water treatment schemes for this discharge.”