Sewage Sludge spread at Drumcross Farm, Erskine

Scottish Water did not have the information requested.

Dear Scottish Water,

With regards to the recent sewage sludge spread at Drumcross Farm, Erskine (see http://www.sepa.org.uk/about_us/news/201...), I would be grateful if you could supply the following information:

1. Did Scottish Water supply the product?
2. What is the name of the product?
3. Who does Scottish Water supply it to?
4. Where does it originate from? (e.g. local sewage plant?)
5. What guidelines (environmental, health, social) do you provide to users of the product? (Please supply a copy)
6. Does Scottish Water sell the product, or do you pay companies to take it away?
- What rate do you charge / pay?
7. What do you do with the product if you do not sell it to farms?
- What quantities are disposed of by each method? (Annual since 2004 if possible)
- What environmental assessment do you carry out on each method? (Copy of report or brief summary)
8. A copy of the contract you had in place for the supply that reached Drumcross Farm (note: managed by James McCaig Farms)

Please note, if you are not aware of who supplied the product to Drumcross Farm, it would still be helpful if you could answer the questions in a general sense.

Many thanks for your help.

Yours faithfully,

Mr C McNally

FOI, Scottish Water

1 Attachment

Dear Mr McNally,

 

Thank you for your request for information which we processed under the
Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRS) under the
exemption contained in section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information
(Scotland) Act 2002.

 

1. Did Scottish Water supply the product?

 

The material stored and subsequently spread at Drumcross Farm, Erskine is
sludge derived from the sewage treatment process at Meadowhead wastewater
treatment works. This site is operated by a PFI company (Ayr Environmental
Services Operations Ltd - AESOps).  Scottish Water has no involvement in
the sewage and sludge treatment processes at this site or in the
subsequent disposal of the treated sludge.

 

2. What is the name of the product?

 

The material is sewage sludge.

 

3. Who does Scottish Water supply it to?

 

Scottish Water is not involved in the sludge treatment process at the
Meadowhead works or in its subsequent disposal.  The information is exempt
under s.10 (4a) of EIR on the basis that the requested information is not
held by Scottish Water.

 

4. Where does it originate?

 

The sewage sludge originates from the wastewater treatment works at
Meadowhead.

 

5. What guidelines do you provide to users of the product?

 

Scottish Water has no involvement in the disposal of sludge from
Meadowhead wastewater treatment works.   The information is exempt under
s.10 (4a) of EIR on the basis that the requested information is not held
by Scottish Water.

 

However, all storage and spreading activities relating to sewage sludge
are fully regulated under the Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations and
the Waste Management Licensing (Scotland) Regulations. Further guidance is
provided in the Code of Practice for Agricultural Use of Sewage Sludge and
the Safe Sludge Matrix. Copies of all these documents can be found online.

 

6. Does Scottish Water sell the product or do you pay companies to take it
away? What rate do you charge/pay?

 

Scottish Water has no involvement in the disposal of sludge from
Meadowhead wastewater treatment works. The information is exempt under
s.10 (4a) of EIR on the basis that the requested information is not held
by Scottish Water.

 

However, treated sludge from Scottish Water-operated works is not sold for
use in agriculture. We employ contractors to dispose of the sludge and
details of these contracts are commercially-sensitive.

 

7. What do you do with the product if you do not sell it to farms? What
quantities are disposed of by each method? What environmental assessment
is carried out on each method?

 

Scottish Water has no involvement in the disposal of sludge from
Meadowhead wastewater treatment works.  The information is exempt under
s.10 (4a) of EIR on the basis that the requested information is not held
by Scottish Water.

 

However, alternative disposal routes for treated sludge include
energy-from-waste recovery and spreading on non-agricultural land for
ecological benefit or enhancement of non-food crops. Where no suitable
recycling route is available, then sludge can be disposed to landfill. In
2013, sludge from Scottish Water-operated works was disposed as follows:
agricultural use (80.5%), land reclamation (18.5%), and landfill (1%).
Disposal to land is strictly regulated and both the sludge and soil is
tested to ensure that any limits on key parameters (e.g. nutrients,
pathogens & contaminants) are not exceeded.

 

8. A copy of the contract for supply of sewage sludge to Drumcross Farm.

 

Scottish Water has no involvement in the disposal of sludge from
Meadowhead wastewater treatment works.  The information is exempt under
s.10 (4a) of EIR on the basis that the requested information is not held
by Scottish Water.

 

You can seek a review of this response within forty working days and
thereafter appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner. Further
information on the appeals procedure can be obtained from the attached
document and the Commissioner's website at [1]www.itspublicknowledge.info.

 

 

Richard Duncan

FOI Analyst

Customer Experience Reporting

 

E-mail - [2][Scottish Water request email]

Mobile – 07443 876 049

Website – [3]www.scottishwater.co.uk

 

Scottish Water

Always Serving Scotland

 

 

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Dear FOI,

Thank you for the helpful information.

Yours sincerely,

Mr C McNally