An area in Dunblane which has battled sewage issues faced up to the problem once again after a sewer collapsed.
The leak affected a stretch in the streets of Hillside Avenue and Argyle Way in the town … with sewage spilling into the pavement.
It came on the back of documented issues around Argyle Way in January 2023 which saw residents facing raw sewage on the streets for almost a month.
The latest problems were first discovered on Tuesday, with Scottish Water officials quick to introduce a temporary solution of ‘over-pumping’ to address the issue while a more permanent fix is devised.
The Observer understands last week’s leak was due to the collapse of a sewer which has been in operation for more than 50 years, with investigations ongoing to determine the precise nature of what went wrong.
It is also believed the leak is not linked to the £3million upgrade to the sewer network completed in 2022 in the streets around Clarendon Place, close to where last week’s problems were reported.
Dunblane councillor Alasdair Tollemache – who has been following the sewage issues in the town closely after a previous 25-year career in Scottish Water – said: “Concerned residents were in touch over sewage being spilt on the pavement near Clarendon Place.
“This was from a sewage leak near Roman Way. I made contact with senior management of Scottish Water as this situation was taking a long time to resolve.
“The footpath near the leak was fenced off but sewage was still spilling on to the pavement.
“That has now been resolved and the repair being undertaken.
“Scottish Water have informed me that the repair is complicated and may take some time to complete.”
In response, a Scottish Water spokesperson said: “We are working as quickly as we can towards carrying out a permanent repair and would like to thank the community for their patience and understanding.”
The sewer upgrade work was identified as a “top priority” by Scottish Water as the £3million project was completed – with work including an improvement in surface drainage water in Argyle Way and the rebuilding of the stone dyke wall in George Street.
But fresh problems with the local network were reported at the early part of 2023, with residents left raging at the “woeful” response to a leak which reportedly saw sewage leaking into the streets for almost a month before being dealt with.
Dunblane Community Council secretary Calum Thomson said it had received “reassurances” from Scottish Water that it was looking into the latest leak “urgently”.