Sewage Disposal Fined

The case was referred to the Procurator Fiscal by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). Mr MacPherson was a Director of the company Dr Eco Services Limited, which has ceased trading.  The nature of Dr Eco Services Limited's business was to collect sewage from septic tanks, then remove the liquid from the waste which would be returned into a septic tank, and then the remaining "sludge cake" would be removed and taken for disposal at landfill.

The investigation began when SEPA received formal complaints from members of the public in August 2006 regarding a tanker discharging liquid into a drain at Kilmory Industrial Estate. On investigating, SEPA officers found a tanker marked Dr Eco Services Ltd parked over a surface water drain. A strong smell of sewage could be detected at the rear of the vehicle. Upon closer inspection the officers found sewage effluent discharging from a concealed hose which was running from a valve on the underside of the vehicle, down between the double tyres at the rear of the tanker and into a surface water drain which was designed to collect rainwater.  The drain then discharged to a ditch adjacent to the local shinty park.

It was claimed by Mr MacPherson that the water being discharged was clean water, however records showed that sewage waste had not been disposed of at landfill from the tanker for a couple of weeks before the offence.  A sample taken from the hose for analysis showed that the liquid was a highly polluting sewage effluent.  Exposure to bacteria and pathogens found in this type of effluent could cause harm to human health.