Work to repair damaged Carnoustie coastal defences under way

The 1200mm diameter pipeline transports waste water along the Angus coast to Hatton Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW), between Carnoustie and Arbroath. The pipeline and the WWTW are operated on Scottish Water’s behalf by Veolia under a PFI contract.

Work is taking place in continuing challenging weather conditions, which are further restricted and affected by the tides. It is estimated that the full reinstatement of the affected area of land will involve up to 5,000 cubic metres of backfill material and 1500 tonnes of rock armour.

Teams on site will be working double shifts, coinciding with tidal patterns, throughout the rest of the week, and over the weekend to expedite the work as quickly and as safely as possible. It is hoped that a repair to the sewer pipeline could be able to begin early next week.

Following the damage to the pipeline, flows through the pipeline were stopped immediately and there is no continuing pollution at the site. Storm tanks and screens are being used to settle and remove any debris from the waste water, which is then discharged via outfalls to the Tay which are designed and licensed to operate in emergencies.

A Scottish Water spokesperson said: “We are working closely with Veolia, Angus Council and our supply chain partners to enable the damaged section of pipeline to be repaired as soon as the continuing challenging conditions allow.

“Work is now in progress to backfill the eroded area above the beach and restore the coastal defences to a level which will allow the pipeline to be repaired. Once the repair is completed, work to restore the coastal defences to their full height and to backfill above the pipeline will continue.

“While repair efforts are underway, our team is also actively monitoring the 6mm screens and storm tanks that operate to mitigate impact of the situation on the environment, before flows are discharged to the Tay via licensed outfalls.”

“We would like to thank everyone who is supporting our response. We anticipate continuing challenging weather and tidal conditions over the coming days, but have plans and resources in place to make progress in the periods when conditions allow this to happen safely.”

The land surrounding the eroded area of land remains unstable and this is expected to continue to be affected over the coming days by high tides and further adverse weather. A sheer drop has formed, with the edge continuing to be undermined by wave action during high tides. Members of the public are advised to keep well away from the area until repairs are complete.

Scottish Water and Veolia are continuing to engage closely with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and other stakeholders in the local area.