Frequently Asked Questions
As a household customer, I am not happy about the level of customer service that I have received from Scottish Water, what can I do about this?
In the first instance you should contact the Scottish Water Customer helpline on Tel: 0845 601 8855 and provide details of your complaint. If it is not resolved to your satisfaction you can contact their Customer Relations Team at: customer.concerns@scottishwater.co.uk.
In the event that you still remain dissatisfied it is open to you to contact Waterwatch Scotland, as the statutory body established to represent water customers' interests in Scotland.
What work is being done to address development constraints?
Work is underway to address development constraints through the Quality and Standards 3 (Q&S3) investment programme which commenced on April 1 2006 and will run until March 2014. Throughout the Q&S 3 programme, Scottish Water is being required to provide sufficient strategic capacity to meet the needs of all estimated new development. Scottish Water has set up a Development Response Team taking forward work with local authorities and developers on priorities throughout Scotland. The priority has been to concentrate first on areas of highest demand, especially in rural areas of the country. You can find out more about Q&S3 by accessing the Improving Services section of this website.
Scottish Water is proposing to undertake work in my local area. How do I register my objection to this?
Scottish Water has put in place a Consultation Code and will consult widely with its customers and key groups about its plans to develop infrastructure, planning for water mains and sewer works and the impact of its construction programmes. If, during such consultation, you wish to make an objection, you should do so with the local planning authority which, in most cases, is your local council.
I believe a waste water treatment works is in breach of the law due to sewage spills into the local river/loch/coastal water and want to know who to report this to?
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is the environmental regulator for Scottish Water's discharges to the aquatic environment. If you have any concerns on such matters you should contact your local SEPA office. Click on the attached link for contact information - SEPA contacts.
Scottish Water seems to cause a lot of water pollution. What are they doing about it?
Scottish Water's environmental performance is closely monitored by SEPA. Scottish Water is aware of its environmental responsibilities and takes a number of measures to minimise its impact on the environment. Click here for further information.
The waste water treatment works near me is a source of odours. What can be done about it?
A statutory Code of Practice on control of odours came into force in April 2006, requiring Scottish Water to demonstrate genuine long term improvements in odour problems at its works. Its objective is to apply the best practicable means for assessing, controlling and minimising odour nuisance. It empowers local authorities to investigate complaints and require improvements. You can complain directly to Scottish Water or the environmental health department of your local authority.
Who sets my water charges?
The Water Services etc. (Scotland) Act 2005 provides for the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (the Commission) to determine Scottish Water's charging limits.
Why are our water charges so high?
The Commission's final determination of water charges for the 2006-10 period means that average customer charges in Scotland will rise by less than inflation during that period, while average charges in England and Wales are rising above inflation.
The average household charge for 2007-2008 is lower than in England and Wales (£310 compared with £330).
The below inflation charges for Scotland will fund a capital investment programme of £2.45 billion over the next 4 years. This is one of the biggest investment programmes ever in the UK water industry and will raise standards and provide significant new capacity.
What assistance is available for vulnerable households to pay their water charges?
The Scottish Government is committed to helping low income households with water bills. A series of discounts and reductions currently apply to water charges, including a reduction in charges of up to 25% for households with 2 or more adults and which are in receipt of Council Tax Benefit.
You can find out more about water charges by accessing the " How are my charges set?" section of the website.
I have an unsatisfactory private water supply and was thinking about connecting to the public network. What can I do?
Private water supplies are regulated by the Private Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations 2006. The objective is to ensure the provision of clean and wholesome drinking water, and local authorities have powers to require improvements to be made to unsatisfactory supplies. Grants are available from local authorities to assist users to improve their supplies. You can obtain further information about these arrangements at the private water supplies website.
I have an unsatisfactory private sewer/septic tank and was thinking about connecting to the public network. What can I do?
The presumption from SEPA is that where a new connection is required close to an existing public system, then connection is the best option (see connection FAQ above). Normally, SEPA would expect local authority Local Plans to take account of provision of suitable infrastructure. However, if your household is too far from the public network to make such a connection viable, they will not object to the private provision of sustainable sewerage systems provided there is no environmental risk.