Pittenweem Sewer Flooding Investment

Latest Update - Nov 23

• Our site investigation works were successfully carried out in August and the finding from these will go on to inform the final designs of the main works
• While we continue to finalise our construction programme, we now expect the main works to start in January 2024. We continue to liaise with the local council on these plans

What We Are Doing

• We are looking to address flooding in 3 main areas of Pittenweem –The West Shore, East Shore and Seaview Row.
• Construction is due to start January 2024 at East Shore but there are elements of the project that are still being developed.
• There will be disruption during the construction of these upgrades, with road traffic management and construction noise. We will work with the community to minimise this as much as possible.
• We will continue to engage with the community on what is being proposed. 

East Shore

• Work is due to start on the East Shore in January 2024
• Upgraded, screened CSO (Combined Sewer Overflow) and new outfall within East Harbour to MLWS (Mean Low Water Springs). This will mean that the existing overflow is removed from the inner harbour and taken to MLWS
• Upgrade power supply to existing waste water pumping station
• There will be construction work taking place within the area of the Harbour car park

West Shore

• Upgrading and installation of new screening to the existing CSO
• A new long sea outfall to Mean Low Water Springs (MLWS)
• Following discussions with community and committing to minimize the visual impact of the outfall as much as possible, we are able to construct the new outfall so it is fully buried underground.

West Pittenweem - surface water separation

There is known flooding issues in the Western area of Pittenweem. Following updated modelling and solution development, we are currently considering the options, including that of surface water removal. We will continue to liaise with stakeholders with regard to these plans.

Timescales

Construction work is due to start on East Shore in January 2024. The ideal is we are able to approach working in the community in the different locations in a coordinated way so that we don’t have to completely stop at any one time, but also don’t carry out work in the harbour and beach areas during summer time when the village has higher number of visitors. 

The sequencing of each of the phases of the work will consider minimising disruption, whilst managing construction practicalities and cost. All dates will be subject to change, for example - limited access, vehicle size and movement constraints and tide movements will heavily constrain work at West shore so this phase will likely be slowest to progress once on site.

We will update the community regularly as work progresses. 

Why We Are Doing It

Historically, the area has been prone to sewer flooding during times of heavy rainfall.

This significant investment will address internal sewer flooding and the distress and upset it causes.
Once complete, the increased capacity in the new infrastructure will help reduce the risk of sewer flooding in the area and make a real difference to the households who have been affected in the past.

CSOs are an important mechanism which releases pressure on the network from rain using overflows to rivers and the sea. When there are overflows from a rainstorm, less than 1% of this is sewage from toilets. The screening of these CSOs prevents items which are wrongly flushed down the toilet – such as baby wipes, sanitary items, cotton buds, etc. from ending up on our beaches.