Fighting for the Water of Leith's environment

Fighting for better Regulatory regimes for testing

Councillors Neil Ross and Jack Caldwell won cross-party support for further partnership working between the Council and environmental agencies after a report came to committee and the following Addendum was agreed.

"Committee adds to the recommendations

• 1.1.3 Regrets that the Water of Leith Basin and the River Almond do not receive bacterial testing and notes that Regulatory schemes can be, and have been introduced in other areas of regulation, to protect both nearby residents and nature.
• 1.1.4 Requests that the Regulatory Convenor write to the relevant Environment minister and Environmental Standards Scotland setting out these concerns, specifically with regard to Edinburgh’s waterways, and seeking ways to address these issues using the 2011 Water Environment (Controlled Activity) Regulations and the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This will be reported back in a Business Bulletin update and forwarded on to appropriate Council committees"

Engaging with the wider community

Councillor Jack Caldwell has been consistently attending Ben Macpherson MSP's Water of Leith Stakeholders Group and is speaking up for his residents in Leith Walk ward. The Liberal Democrats will also continue listening to local campaign and conservation groups such as the Water of Leith Conservation Trust and SOS Leith, who have given vital evidence of some of the issues so far.

Planting our flag in the ground against sewage dumping

Councillors Hal Osler and Jack Caldwell got unanimous agreement at Edinburgh Council in 2023 on some of the key concerns around Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), and have kept it on the agenda. You can read more about that initial motion in the Edinburgh Reporter.

Seeking Scotland-wide solutions.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats in Holyrood have held the Scottish government to account, kept the Water of Leith on the agenda, and are championing a new Clean Water Act.

Progress

• Scottish Water are currently working through their CSO upgrade programme ("Urban Waters Routemap"), including the outlet near Keddie Gardens / Junction Street Bridge which as of writing is set for major works around 2026, but isn't currently finalised.

• Buddleia or ‘butterfly bush’ has been removed from the walls around the Bonnington section of the Water of Leith, due to the damage it has and can cause to structures untreated.

• Some newly installed monitors along the Water of Leith may start producing data as early as the beginning of 2025, as currently none of the CSO outlets measure sewage output.