A BAND of West Kilbride residents carried out their own investigations to determine the source of sewage that turned a river into ‘an open sewer’.

The group, who were able to coordinate their efforts while obeying social distancing rules, jumped into action after a number of people noticed a foul smell coming from Kilbride Burn in The Glen.

Jeni Lennox, one of the team, said: “I went out for a walk one evening down The Glen and I noticed a horrendous smell by the bridge.

“I found an outflow delivering sewage into the burn.

“It was an open sewer in the central part of The Glen.”

Jeni wasn’t the only one to make the disgusting discovery.

She said: “There’s a squad, I’m the one with the mouth but it’s been a real community effort.”

After identifying the visible sewage leaking from a pipe into the burn, the group contacted the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Scottish Water (SW).

Initially they were told the issue might be down to the recent weather or a problem with a local septic tank but SW couldn’t investigate due to lockdown restrictions.

They took it upon themselves to find the faulty septic tank causing the stink in their green place.

Using maps and expert contacts, Jeni and her fellow West Kilbride residents were able to rule out septic tanks as the source.

She said: “We spoke to everyone on Law Hill that has a tank. We pestered SW and they came out and had a scrummage around but couldn’t find the problem.

“Then, with SEPA and Councillor Todd Ferguson, we pressed SW again.”

After a second visit, the problem was identified as a collapsed sewer leaking excrement into a surface water pipe.

A team from SW was out immediately to tackle the putrid problem.

A SEPA spokesperson said: “The information provided by residents was very important in identifying the source and achieving a successful outcome. We would like to take this opportunity to thank them for working with us and remind anyone who is concerned about potential pollution to report it using our website.”

A SW spokesperson said: “We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously and are continuing to liaise with SEPA.”

Find out more at www.scottishwater.co.uk/cycle.