Treatment Operator - Waste Water

Edinburgh man says 'this is ridiculous' as prestigious square becomes 'embarrassment' 'This is ridiculous' An Edinburgh man has hit out at both the council and Scottish Water after a burst pipe on "one of the city's most prestigious squares" has been leaking "gallons on gallons of water" for almost a month now. Article continues below 138524935133 Alex Orr, of Orbit Communications, said that he and a number of other business owners on Charlotte Square have reported the leak over environmental concerns but it is yet to be repaired. Article continues below He told Edinburgh Live: "We've got no date of when this is actually going to be addressed. For the business owners around here it started as a bit of a novelty and then they thought 'This is ridiculous'. Article continues below "This is a prestigious part of the city. Charlotte Square has a sort of cachet to it, and we're dealing with something like that which has been ongoing for a month now. "It's just very frustrating for everyone. You can see the water that's [leaking out] - environmentally, it's not the greatest and it's not the greatest for the road." You May Like We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info Edinburgh Council said the issue wasn't emergent and was on hold until Princes Street reopened to prevent further strain for public transport and motorists. But Alex maintains he feels the fix could have been an easy one and repairs could have been done at night. He continued: "It's nonsense obviously Scottish Water pushing the blame back to the council. The council are saying they've put some plan in place, but we just don't know when anything is going to be done. Article continues below "It's embarrassing for the city because this is supposed to be one of our prestigious squares with you know tourists going through it, etc. and it's become almost like a feature, the Charlotte Square Spring comes to mind, but it's just embarrassing and disappointing." Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said: "We prioritise non-emergency utility works according to severity and the needs of the wider network. "We've been liaising with Scottish Water on this issue and work is set to begin today." While Scottish Water added that a repair would be carried out as soon as possible. A spokesperson said: "We are aware of a water main burst at Charlotte Square, Edinburgh. "Due to the location of the burst and events within the City Centre we have managed the issue for a period of time in order to cause as little disruption as possible. Article continues below "We are working with partners at City of Edinburgh Council and Lothian Buses now to establish a timeframe to repair the burst as soon as possible."

Nairn community fears traffic "chaos" as Scottish Water works set to take eight months. Published: 06:00, 01 September 2026 Community leaders have accused Scottish Water of "misleading" the town over a £3 million project that threatens to plunge Nairn into gridlock. Scottish Water is set to install a new screened storm overflow chamber at Lochloy Road, with the works set to take up to eight months. The company will start setting up a site compound next to the Nairn Show Field from Monday, September 14, with works to begin in Lochloy Road from Monday, October 5 with work within the Scotmid car park expected to begin from Wednesday, November 5. The work on Lochloy Road is adjacent to the A96, Nairn's main throughroad, which already sees lots of traffic. Several members of the community worry the work will lead the town into chaos. Loreine Thompson, Nairn River Community Council member, who has been doing a mammoth amount of research on the project, said: "Inverness Company don't have a traffic management plan. Inverness Company don't have a plan of the works. Inverness Company don't have a schedule of the works. Inverness Company don't even know what their operating hours are going to be. "Inverness Company is now going to have heavy goods vehicles coming down that road, against flow of heavy goods vehicles going up the road. Once they meet each other, it's chaos. And it all backs back down onto the A96. "What happens when an ambulance, fire engine or police car needs to get past? It could be a disaster. "The alternative roads are not suitable for use." Alastair Noble, chairman of Nairn Improvement Community Enterprise (NICE), said: "Inverness Company can't cope with traffic congestion. Inverness Company can't cope anyway. "Anything that makes it worse is beyond any sense of all comprehension." A small number of residents within the works area were sent letters about the works, which informed them that it will "manage heavy rainfall and protect the community from flooding". However, the work is actually to mainly work on sewage reduction - but the local group, including Loreine, state that it will only help control a very small proportion of sewage waste. She said: "Inverness Company has gone from 'this is about the combined sewage overflow', to 'it's to help with flooding'. It's nothing to do with flooding, it's to do with sewage. Top stories. "The sewage it will impact is only a small amount due to where it is. "Inverness Company is spending £3 million to allow them to put sewage into the river, because 35 per cent of it is still going to go into the river. "It catches wet wipes and these things, but what about E coli? It doesn't stop that." Hamish Bain, chair of Nairn River Community Council, said: "Every single person is going to be disrupted by this, when the work could be done elsewhere with more effectiveness for the issue. "It is going to impact businesses, people going to work and children going to school." A Scottish Water spokesperson said: "Traffic management will be required on Lochloy Road for approximately two months while the new sewer infrastructure is installed. "The project team is currently working to finalise the traffic management arrangements, which are expected to include temporary traffic lights at the junction to help with the flow of traffic. This is subject to third-party confirmation. "These would be manned seven days a week between 7am and 7pm to monitor traffic flows and make adjustments where required. "The arrangements will be managed in consultation with the relevant authorities to minimise disruption as far as possible. More Stories

Traditional incidents of fly-tipping remain static but tonnage of waste removed from West Lothian streets increases. West Lothian Council is strengthening its efforts to tackle fly-tipping across the county through a combination of enforcement, community engagement, education and investment in new technology. 09 September A report to the Environment and Sustainability Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel (PDSP) highlights the council's ongoing work to reduce fly-tipping and protect local communities from the environmental and financial impact of illegally dumped waste. The report outlines an intelligence-led approach that combines prevention, improved reporting, targeted enforcement and partnership working to address the issue. Fly-tipping remains a significant challenge for all councils, affecting communities, damaging the environment and placing pressure on public resources. Data highlights that more waste is being removed from West Lothian's communities now than over the past few years, but that there has been no increase in 'traditional' types of fly-tipping incidents over the past three years. Instead, illegal disposal practices, the use of unlicensed waste carriers and irresponsible waste disposal behaviour remain the primary causes of the problem. Commercial companies are legally required to pay to dispose of their waste at commercial recycling centres. Some avoid these charges by fly-tipping. The report also notes that evidence does not support a direct link between the Community Recycling Centre booking system and increased levels of fly-tipping. Incidents of commercial fly-tipping and other factors are included as part of the council's overall data collection. * When community litter picks take place, bags of waste are left on paths at litter bins for the council to collect. This is also recorded as fly-tipping. Therefore, given West Lothian's strong record of community clean ups, this has a significant impact on the data. There was also a longer Spring Clean programme this year, so the amount of community clean ups and waste removed was greater than in previous years. * A significant amount of waste removed from illegal encampments * Improved reporting mechanisms, increased public awareness and enhanced detection through CCTV have also helped identify and remove more waste, contributing to higher recorded tonnage figures. The report shows, growing community participation and stronger enforcement outcomes over the last three years, helping the council identify offenders and respond more effectively to incidents. Fixed Penalty Notices of up to £500 can be issued where there is evidence of fly-tipping, with prosecution considered for serious or repeat offences. Since January of this year, nearly £10,000 has been recovered through Fixed Penalty Notices. The council's dedicated enforcement team investigates all reported incidents, working alongside operational teams to ensure waste is removed quickly from public land. Most reported fly-tipping on public land is cleared within three working days in town centres and within five working days in residential and rural areas. The removal of fly tipping from private land is the responsibility of the landowner. West Lothian Council will continue to build on its current programme through further investment in CCTV infrastructure, ongoing support for community-led initiatives and continued partnership working with organisations including Police Scotland, SEPA, Scottish Water and Scottish Power Renewables. Residents can report incidents of fly-tipping through the council's website and are reminded to ensure anyone removing waste on their behalf is a licensed waste carrier. Executive councillor for Environment and Sustainability Tom Conn said: " Fly-tipping is not a victimless crime. It impacts all who live in the area through both the cost of clear up and the obvious negative effect on our local environment and wildlife. The message is simple, Fly Tipping is a criminal offence and not acceptable under any circumstance. Anyone caught doing so will be pursued. Evidence still suggests that the majority of fly tipping activity is carried out by commercial operators. It is imperative that residents ensure anyone taking away their waste has an appropriate waste carriers license in place. I'd like to thank residents and volunteering groups like West Lothian Litter Pickers for their continued engagement and please ask people to keep reporting any incidents of fly-tipping through the West Lothian Council website." Contact us * Email us * 01506280000 * Our address: Civic Centre Howden South Road Livingston EH54 6FF United Kingdom Site Information * West Lothian Civic Centre * Howden South Road * Livingston * United Kingdom * EH54 6FF