SEWAGE CAMPAIGN

 

 

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From 2019 to 2023 there were 2392 sewage spills from the Tighnabruaich / Kames sewage treatment plant constituting 35% of operational time. This totalled 84 cubic metres of untreated sewage flowing directly into the Kyles of Bute. Many properties in the two villages discharge directly into the sea, with homeowners either unable to afford the cost of a septic tank, or lack the space or depth of soil to be able to install one.​

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We are campaigning for The Scottish Government, Scottish Water, SEPA, NatureScot and Argyll & Bute Council to acknowledge the shared responsibility of sewage management in the Kyles and Loch Riddon, by joining forces and working in partnership with The Kyles Coastal Community Group, to provide members of our community with affordable routes to obtaining private sewage management solutions.

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Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands & Islands, put forward the following questions to the Scottish Parliament on our behalf, in July 2025. These are set out below, together with the replies from Gillian Martin, Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action & Energy.

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Question: To ask the Scottish government how it plans to engage with community-led initiatives such as the Kyles Coastal Community group’s campaign for clean seas, to ensure that local knowledge and priorities are reflected in marine protection and wastewater management policies.

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Reply: Protecting our marine environment is a shared responsibility and the Scottish government welcomes community initiatives. The Kyles Coastal Community group is a member of the Coastal Communities Network that engages directly with the Scottish government on many marine issues. The group can contact Scottish Water or SEPA to raise any local wastewater concerns.

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Question: To ask the Scottish government what plans it has to improve the monitoring and public reporting of sewage discharges into coastal waters, particularly in rural communities such as those around the Kyles of Bute and Loch Riddon, in light of reported concerns regarding the frequency and impact of untreated sewage entering the marine environment. 

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Reply: The EU published a recast Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive in 2025. The Scottish government is reviewing its policies to establish how it should align with this Directive. 

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Question: To ask the Scottish government whether it will consider supporting a pilot scheme for decentralised community-scale sewage treatment systems in rural areas such as the Kyles of Bute, in light of reports that such systems may offer more environmentally sustainable and cost-effective solutions than traditional mains infrastructure.

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Reply: I refer the member to the answer to questions S6W-36642 on 2 May 2025.

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‘Dare to Dip’ event August 2025

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Role of the primary school

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Impact of sewage on human health​

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The solutions we are proposing to the problem

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