An environmental agency has confirmed that the operators of a water plant in Aberdeen, which has produced noxious odours for the last 15 years, have failed to comply with regulations.
Many residents in Torry have complained about foul smells since the £63million Nigg Waste Water Plant opened its doors in 2001.
The site is owned by Scottish Water and is currently managed by Kelda Water.
It is regulated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency which described the facility as a “failing plant”, which needed refurbishment to bring it up to scratch.
A spokeswoman said: “The Nigg Waste Water Treatment plant has been a failing plant in the past, but it is undergoing a comprehensive refurbishment programme.
“The objective of this refurbishment is to have a plant that is fully compliant with all its licence requirements.
“For the last eight months, it has been compliant with Sepa’s effluent discharge requirements, but Sepa will continue to monitor the performance.”
Professor Rob Jackson, who was recruited to find a solution to the problem, addressed a recent meeting of Torry Community Council.
He told his audience: “At the last meeting on September 5, I asked one question which was very revealing.
“I asked Sepa if the plant had been fully compliant with regulations [in the past] and the response was ‘mostly’.
“But you cannot be a little bit pregnant.
“This suggests there are still issues to be addressed.
“I asked if is it fully compliant now and they said yes, it was.”
Prof Jackson went on to reveal that a key document, investigating the issue, will be issued in the public domain.
He added: “I put a question to Sepa, asking if the report into the odour would be made public and they said it would be.
“There may be sanctions against the people who run the plant.
“It is important that groups like you should be mindful to take people to account who need to be taken to account.”
A Scottish Water spokesman said: “Sepa and Aberdeen City Council are the environmental regulators of Nigg Waste Water Treatment Works and are therefore the appropriate parties to comment on such matters.”
