This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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More rivers and lochs declared 'sensitive'
31/03/2006
A new 'sensitive area' status is to be extended to more than 80 river and loch locations around Scotland.
These included the River Annan in the south west to Loch of Harray in Orkney. Parts of the River Tweed, the lower Clyde as well as the southern basin of Loch Lomond are also to be given additional protection through this designation.
The status will ensure that sewage discharges from works in these areas are treated to a more stringent treatment standard.
Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development Rhona Brankin said:
"We are committed to safeguarding and improving the quality of Scotland's water environment and to improve standards of sewage treatment. Together with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Scottish Water, we are applying appropriate means to improve the standard of urban waste water treatment to protect sensitive areas. Communities will benefit from the additional protection that the additional treatment provides for these newly designated rivers and lochs."
The designation of water bodies as Sensitive Areas means that Scottish Water is providing additional treatment to reduce nutrient levels in water before it is discharged from sewage treatment plants.
This treatment is not appropriate for all areas. Many will meet the standards without nutrient removal being applied to the discharges. In some cases, other actions are being taken, such as measures to prevent pollution from the sewer system and/or to remove the discharge entirely.
In other cases, the threat to water quality may not be sewage-related, but the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive requires that regardless of source, steps are taken to reduce the levels of nutrient being discharged to waters where this contributes to being downgraded in quality classifications
Actions on other sources of nutrients, such as farming, will be dealt with through measures adopted in River Basin Management Plans that will be introduced as part of requirements of the Water Environment and Water Services Act 2003.