Extreme levels of sewage 50 times beyond the safe limit on the beach at Lower Largo have exposed the scale of the crisis facing Scotland’s beaches.
Residents in the Fife village say increased testing in the area proves how much work must be done to clean up coastlines across the country strewn with filth.
A report by investigations group The Ferret revealed 50 out of 89 beaches in Scotland that are popular with swimmers are too contaminated, according to safety guidelines.
According to the data, Lower Largo’s beach was at least 50 times above the recommended limit on three separate occasions between May and September 15.
Last October, The Courier reported that Scottish Water was forced to say sorry after human faeces and used condoms polluted the sandy coastal spot for almost a week.
Campaigners said the latest figures are “disappointing”, but reckoned increasing testing by environmental bodies now shows the true extent of the problem.
Villagers pushed for the beach to be designated a year ago – which means it has been closely monitored by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) since.
Louise Robb, who chairs Largo Communities Together, said: “It was no shock to us. It disappoints us.
“Our aim is to make this better, we want to push to have this improved.”
She added: “Over the years there’s possibly been a lack of investment and a lack of future-thinking.
“It goes for many beaches in the UK, we’re not alone.
“I do think it’s a Scotland and UK-wide issue. We happen to be highlighted. We take that on the chin.”
Concerns over sewage being spilled onto beaches and into rivers have mounted across the UK over the summer.
North East Fife Lib Dem MSP Willie Rennie now wants the SNP to tackle the problem head on at Holyrood.
His party has pushed for the Scottish Government to upgrade sewers.
Responding to the worrying new figures in areas like Lower Largo, he said: “This shows the SNP and Greens are letting the government-owned water company off the hook.
“It’s time ministers stopped excusing these filthy practices when levels of faecal bacteria on our beaches are reaching 50 times the safe limit.”
‘Disgusting’
One worried resident in Lower Largo, who did not want to be named, said: “I think it’s disgusting to be honest.
“I used to walk my dogs down the beach at Largo, and some days the beach was in a terrible mess.
“There’s a lot of money being spent here, it would be a shame if people were being put off by this.”
Fife Lib Dem Councillor Eugene Clarke, who represents the local area, said Scottish Water officials need better resources for sampling.
He told us: “The amount of sampling and control that Scottish Water do is ridiculously low. They just don’t monitor it properly.
“If you don’t know the problem, you can’t do anything about it.”
A SEPA spokesperson said: “Scotland’s bathing water quality is the best it has been since 2015 when tighter standards first came into force.
“This summer’s season started with more bathing waters than ever before, and a record-breaking number rated excellent.
“The most common causes of water quality issues in Scotland are short term pollution following heavy rainfall.”
Conversation