FED-up residents have launched a foul-mouthed protest at Scottish Water – after workies left their street a floody mess.
Locals on Edinburgh’s Dalmeny Street voiced their frustration after work to repair a sewer blocked by oil, fat and grease dragged on for weeks.
Residents have launched a foul-mouthed protest at Scottish Water after workies left their street a floody mess
News Group Newspapers LtdMotorists are no longer able to exit the street directly onto busy Leith Walk[/caption]
News Group Newspapers LtdChristmas tree seller David Robertson, 69, said the hole had hit trade[/caption]
And one furious resident even sent those tasked with the repair project a message by painting the pavement with the words: “Fix the road. Lazy *****.”
Posting to X, formerly known as Twitter, a local said: “About a month ago, Scottish Water dug a very deep hole at the end of Dalmeny Street to investigate a leak, closed the road and then downed tools. This morning the locals have now spoken.”
They added: “For context. There has been no activity here since the hole was shored up. If it’s an emergency hole, fix it. If not, backfill it and clear the site to fix later.”
A digger and a pile of rubble has been left next to the hole, which has been fenced off.
And motorists are no longer able to exit the street directly onto busy Leith Walk.
Christmas tree seller David Robertson, 69, said the hole had hit trade because customers have to take a huge detour to get in and out of the street.
And he said he’d only seen workers out once since he pitched up nearby with his stock at the start of this month.
He said: “They have only been here one day since I’ve been here – and they just looked at it and walked away.
“I’ve never seen them since.
“It has hit trade. We have lost a lot of money through that. It was the same when the tram works were here. People have to take a detour.”
Resident Robin Auld, 61, added: “I’ve not seen them working much at all lately. I did think this morning ‘I wish they’d finish this hole’.
“It’s taking forever. There was a lot of work, a big hole, no action. That’s the impression I’m getting.
“It’s frustrating.
“I think there might be a few people spray painting it.”
News Group Newspapers LtdA digger and a pile of rubble has been left next to the hole, which has been fenced off[/caption]
News Group Newspapers LtdLocals have to take a huge detour to get in and out of the street[/caption]
One resident said she believed the workers must have hit a snag and said the work – thought to have started on November 1 – stopped around November 19.
She said: “I think they probably found a problem. It’s one of the main streets to get from Easter Road to Leith Walk.”
A dog walker passing the carnage, added: “It’s ridiculous. I can understand why someone has spray painted that message.”
It’s understood the sewerage repair work was scheduled to take around thirty-three working days.
Scottish Water said: “A section of the sewer in Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh has been blocked by a build up of fat, oil and grease.
“Due to the complex layout of the network and scale of the blockage, our teams have been unable to clear it, despite attending on several occasions and increasing the size of the excavation.
“We understand local frustrations about the length of time this work is taking, and are working with our contractors to get the final work and repairs carried out as quickly as possible.
“Blockage like this can be avoided, and we urge customers to dispose of their cooking fats, oils and grease in the bin or recycling rather than down the drain.”
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