The infamous “Methil ming” has been getting up the noses of Levenmouth residents once more.
Although the smell from Levenmouth Waste Water Treatment Works has improved over the past year, residents have reported an odour emanating from the site in recent weeks.
Anne Marie Dewar, Scottish Water’s regional community manager for Levenmouth, urged any concerned residents to attend the public meeting being held by the company next month.
She said, “Scottish Water has recorded a decrease in customer complaints regarding the Levenmouth Waste Water Treatment Works, in comparison with the same period last year, but we will continue to monitor the facility and associated network.
“We encourage residents to contact our customer helpline directly on 0845 601 8855, in order to report any such issues, allowing us to investigate.
“We hold regular stakeholder events with the community and elected members. Residents will be able to discuss these matters further at our forthcoming meeting in August.”
This was echoed by Lindsay Roy MP, who said, “I would urge residents in the Levenmouth area, if there is a problem with odour, to contact Scottish Water through the normal channels. This means they can create a picture of the nature and extent of the problem.”
According to a Scottish Water data table, there have been 29 complaints from Levenmouth residents so far this year. In comparison, 24 complaints were recorded in July last year alone, and 17 in both June and August 2010.
June was the smelliest month of 2009, with 24 complaints received by Scottish Water from the Levenmouth area. There were 22 complaints in July 2009.
Last year, Scottish Water and the operators of the waste water treatment works agreed to act on an independent probe into periodic smells from the plant.
Professor Robert Jackson, a leading independent expert on waste water management, carried out the study at the request of Scottish Water.
It was found that the quality of incoming effluent could be having an effect on odours at the works.
The professor also recommended that sludge cake the solidified remnants of waste water treatment was not exported or imported during the summer.
Sludge cake can be recycled as biomass or used in agriculture.