Frustrated Torry residents have issued a personal appeal to Nicola Sturgeon to step in to protect them from the smell of a treatment works.
Torry Community Council has written to the first minister asking for her help dealing with odours from the Nigg wastewater treatment plant.
It has also raised concerns with her about changes to the way the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) monitors problems – calling the watchdog “toothless”.
The £63million facility opened in 2001 and residents soon afterwards began to complain about foul odours.
SEPA began carrying out an investigation into the issue in 2015 but is yet to publish any of its findings.
Now David Fryer, secretary of the community council, has written to the First Minister urging her to help.
In his letter he said: “Our community of Torry of some 11,000 people has been blighted by odours from the sewage works since 2001.
“Complaints to SEPA and Aberdeen City Council over many years have never led to the service of statutory nuisance notices, and despite the recent spending over £12 million pounds on refurbishment of a 15-years old installation, problems have been just as severe as beforehand.
“From a report back and discussions at the most recent meeting of Torry Community Council, I was requested to write to ask for your support and intervention with regard to the publication date of the SEPA-led investigation that started some two years ago into the failing of the Waste Water Treatment Works over the last fifteen years
“We now also learn that SEPA are planning to move to a system of operator self-monitoring so feel we are being totally let down by a national agency that is meant to lead on environmental protection.
“Our impression is that of a watchdog, tied to a peg and with no teeth.
“We look forward to your reply and would welcome you to attend a meeting with us to hear our concerns first hand.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said:
