Sewage Bridge - something in the pipeline?

The Gurn has heard from unreliable sources close to River CC that a reply to their detailed questions on what has being going on down at the sewage bridge recently has been received from Scottish Water. Regular gurnites will recall that the River folkies had already received a very interesting letter from SEPA. Our sources indicate that there has been no reply yet from the Highland Council over environmental health issues in that part of the riverside. Anyway it appears that a contract could be soon awarded to sort a fair bit of sewer in this problem area. Good news it seems.

Problems in the sewage bridge area - Scottish Water must act say SEPA

Earlier tonight Tommy Hogg distributed copies of a letter received from SEPA in connection with River CC complaints over the multiple problems in the Sewage/Merryton Bridge area. It looks as though the onus is now very much on Scottish Water to come up with explanations and remedial actions. It will be interesting to see what action the Highland Council's Environmental Health Department take.

River CC continues campaigning on sewage issues

Regular students of River Community Council affairs will know that over the 30 year plus history of that organisation they haven’t been shy in fighting for better sewage treatment facilities in the town and stuck to their guns often in the face of fierce argument from former Councillor Nigel Graham and the late Bob Farrow. They continue in the new millennium to demand that Nairn’s sewage infrastructure is kept up to date. On Tuesday night after their meeting with the Bus Station developer’s rep they discussed a number of matters including the continuing discharges, in periods of heavy rain, from the inspection covers on either side of the Sewage Bridge, the outfall pipe below the Maggot flats and the inspection chamber at the bottom of Brocher’s Brae. River’s strategy is to write to Scottish Water, SEPA and Highland Council to ensure that the full nature and extent of the problems are revealed and also to discover if there are plans to fix these ongoing issues and to ensure that the authorities are satisfied that there is no risk to human health given the constant discharges at times of heavy precipitation.

River’s campaign received support from Brian Stewart at the West CC last night. He was concerned that the town’s sewage infrastructure would not be able to cope with any more housing developments. Brian stated: "I'm raising specifically that current and recent evidence confirms beyond doubt that there are existing infrastructure problems with drainage, waste water and sewage capacity in Nairn and that is without any of the new buildings that are planned for Nairn South or anywhere else."

Autumn Colours River Nairn

Regular Nairn Blogosphere readers will remember the Swan Blogger highlighting the manhole cover and pipe (under the triangular coping stones that run alongside the river just down the wee brae opposite the Harbour Street Stores) that are likely to allow sewage to flood out in times of heavy rainfall. The pipe under the coping stones heads down to the sewerage bridge where there are also problems in times of heavy rainfull. Since this video and pictures taken in 2008 new manhole covers have been installed there but you can still see similar scenes once there is a considerable amount of precipitation.

What is concerning however, is that today, in dry weather, sewage was flowing out from below manhole cover seen in the swan blog pics and dropping down the wall directly into the river. The picture above is of the sewage in the vegetation on the river side of the manhole cover. You can see the edge of the wall where the effluent is falling into the river. Time for Scottish Water to sort the whole section leading to the sewage bridge under the triangular coping before things get worse?

Sewage/Merryton Bridge update

This in today from Scottish Water:

"Repair work is due to start on the pipe-bridge on Monday, the 23rd. It should only take a few days.
Notices have been pinned up at the bridge today by Scottish Water to give users advance warning.
As for the mystery barriers that appeared (and were soon bypassed) it was apparently the council acting on reports of vandalism.
Many thanks to regular bridge users for their patience."

Scottish Water closed the sewage bridge

Let's hope the repairs are undertaken very quickly. All our councillors need to get on the case here too - not just Liz.

UPDATE: we've received the following information from Scottish Water:

"The bridge is Scottish Water's and there are some repairs required. I understand contractors are working on it for a few days. Thanks to anyone affected for their patience.

The bridge must be a quirk of history as I can't think of any other sewage pipes we encourage people to walk across! "

The spokesperson also told the Gurn that the helpline number to ring is 0845 601 8855 and not the number on Liz's tweet. No comments on this thread please but the previous article on the bridge is still open.

Sewage Bridge (aka Merryton Bridge) closed

Wire railings have appeared at each end of the bridge today blocking access. Will it ever open again, will any repairs ever be made?

Liz calls for survey on Sewage Bridge

The missing rail on the sewage bridge has prompted Liz to start asking questions about the state of this popular crossing. You can keep up to date with Liz by bookmarking her twitter page.

Gurn sewerage bridge watch

Late afternoon and the bollards glistening in the warm September sun. Regular observers of this neck of the woods will be delighted to know that the picture will enlarge.

Blue paint enigma

Could we be on the threshold of witnessing an initiative that may make scenes like this a thing of the past?

Merryton Bridge woes - groundhog day!

The Gurn is getting really bored with this, reports are coming in that at least one manhole cover was allowing sewerage to escape again after this evening's heavy rain. The Gurn was down there towards dusk and it certainly looks as though there has been another event - just down by where the lagoon formed last time there is evidence of there having been another large puddle and the presence of a sanitary towel is another strong clue.

Come on Scottish Water, SEPA, Highland Council Environmental Health, get it sorted! Will this just become a fact of life? Please tread through this area on tip-toes and don't tell the tourists? Fat down the drains or not - what are you going to do? The Gurn likes to take pictures of nice sunsets and happy things and have lots of fun and be silly, and yet again we have to do our best to be serious! We've had our quota of being serious about this. You lot had better watch it - rumour has it that Councillor Graham Marsden will be back from holiday soon!

The Gurn is so bored with this that comments will not be accepted on this issue.

What can that white stuff that has come out of the drain be?

Sewerage Bridge blows again overnight?

The Gurn understands that SEPA is today investigating a report that the the Merryton Bridge was once again in full flow. If this complaint turns out to be correct then it would indicate that something is seriously wrong with the Nairn Sewerage system in this area if the bridge can release sewerage onto the footpaths three times in 11 days. The Gurn has been down to take pictures and it seems indeed the manhole cover has moved again and fresh material is on the path - down by the site where a huge lagoon had formed on Sunday it looks as though the left over detritus has received a suspicious brown top up. Although it is hard to tell which is the filth from last time and the time before that, so unsatisfactory has been the clean-up at the weekend. At least SEPA are on their way to investigate an 'unsatisfactory situation.' Maybe the Highland Council environmental health department should get down there too.

The site of Sunday's lagoon receives a brown top up that has mysteriously appeared overnight. Looks like the manhole cover has moved again and detrius has appeared again in the site of the previous 'clean-up.'

'Shit happens!'

Thanks to Scottish Water, without their help this video would not have been possible.

Nain's bridge of jobbies and shame

Thanks to Joe for the Picture. In the early hours of Saturday morning a heavy rainstorm caused the manhole covers on both sides of the aptly named sewerage bridge to rise and release hundreds perhaps thousands of gallons of untreated filth onto the paths and the riverbanks. One thing a picture cannot convey and that is the smell that hung over the area throughout the day. A taste of it is probably still there at this moment. Surely something can be done about this, why should dog walkers, cyclists, children that play in this spot and others that pass this way every day have to risk coming across the likes of this?

Bizarrely someone had earlier emptied the contents of the red dog-shit bin you can see on the right of the picture on to the manhole cover. Was it mere vandalism or someone making a point about there being more human shit around that the dog variety? Perhaps it was just sewerage art as about two dozen assorted coloured bags with their dog turd contents glistened in the sun surrounded by mankind's unwrapped offerings.

After a local citizen gurned to SEPA it seemed that someone did come out and sweep the contents to one side later in the day but should disinfectant have been used on the paths? Why should Nairnites have to endure medieval sewerage conditions every time there is heavy rain? You can click on the picture to enlarge if you have the stomach.

Very soon around 40 flats are to be built on the other side of the fence in the picture, perhaps a retaining wall will be necessary to stop further floods of sewerage heading in that direction too.

Sewerage bridge continues to deliver valuable nutrients to riverside trees

Heavy rain obviously did the business once more.