The dirty waters of Loch Lomond are to be improved by a major investment in water quality. Scottish Water has announced they plan to spend around £2 million in reducing pollution along a key stretch of the western banks, near the Duck Bay Hotel and Marina. The year long project will lead to a significant reduction in the amount of waste water spilled into watercourses which flow into the loch, and also improve the quality of this waste water.
The South Bay of Loch Lomond is one of 163 lochs and rivers which are at serious risk from pollution according to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). The project involves seven properties which use privately owned septic tanks that drain into the loch. A spokesman for Scottish Water said, "During the project we will connect these properties in the area to our waste water system and provide a new collection system, pumping station, emergency overflow and combined sewer overflow. This will transfer waste to the Ardoch waste water treatment works near Dumbarton."
Analysis has shown that Loch Lomond's water is becoming more polluted by phosphates - chemicals found in sewage effluent, detergents, fertilisers and food waste. The build up of these nutrients can result in algal blooms, leaving a green scum on the loch surface. In severe cases, oxygen in the water is reduced, causing the death of fish and aquatic life.
