Kinghorn Beach faces losing bathing water status over pollution

A Fife beach could be stripped of its official bathing water status after years of poor water quality ratings linked to E. coli contamination.

The beach in Kinghorn faces a fifth consecutive year of poor results, which could lead to Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) de-designating the site unless improvements are made.

Scottish Water now has until the end of the year to find a solution or Kinghorn could lose its official bathing water status due to health risks posed by pollution.

They say the issue stems from a burn running beneath the town, which is leaking human waste onto the beach.

For locals like Allan McIlravie, who has lived in Kinghorn all his life, it’s a “big concern”.

“This is not something that can’t be dealt with,” he told STV News.

“The Kinghorn economy has no real economy other than tourism, specifically for the beach and golf course.

“We’re getting a level of tourism we used to get in the 1960s. It’s year-on-year busier and busier. We want to provide good quality water in which to swim.”

He said snorkelling has grown popular at Kinghorn since zones were officially introduced in 2023 – but that will be impacted if the problem remains.

“There’s an area towards the east side where starfish come every year, thousands to breed. It’s unique in the Firth of Forth. Snorkellers tell me it’s mind-blowing – a whole new world.

“How can you invite people to come snorkelling when there’s a question mark over water quality?

“The consequences of not dealing with it are that locals feel they’ve lost their beach.”

The current image has no alternative text. The file name is: c8a116bade134a9578eeaccda28ef304-1786372725.jpeg — Coastal rowing club trustee James Wheire

Rowing club trustee James Wheire says those in the sport have to make an informed decision on whether to row when there’s a low quality water warning.

“It’s been present for many years and hasn’t completely stopped us from going out, but we have to be able to know how we make decisions. Our members make their own choice.”

He says the club always encourages new members of all ages and abilities to join.

“It’s a fantastic activity. It’s great for fitness, mental health and a great social lifeline. If people do want to get involved, feeling safe and comfortable is important to us.

“But if things like this are happening, it puts people off. We’d like to see the issue addressed.”

Scottish Water waste director Simon Parsons STV News

With the sewer lines running for around 10 kilometres under the town, chiefs say Kinghorn presents a “fairly unique” challenge.

Scottish Water waste water director Simon Parsons explains they have surveyed around 2,000 metres in an area of the network where pollution is most likely to come from using cameras, and have so far fixed three small defects.

They have also put dye into toilets in local households to trace where it comes out of the system.

“We’ve been forensically looking at infrastructure, sewer networks and burns underneath the town to try and find leaky sewers and where that sewerage could be getting into the water source,” he said.

Mr Parsons says it’s vital sewage is prevented from getting into the surface water burn.

If it doesn’t lead to improvement, there are expensive, longer-term solutions such as piping it out further to sea or converting and moving it across to be treated elsewhere.

He said residents can also continue to play their part by not disposing of oil, fats, grease and wet wipes into the system.

“If we can do those things and find, in essence, a few leaky sewers, we could hopefully make sure water quality in Kinghorn continues to improve,” he added.

“We’re committed to working with SEPA and the local community to do what we can to continue to make improvements in the bathing water in future. If there is de-designation, we’ll highly support that work.”

A SEPA spokesperson says it’s working with Scottish Water, Fife Council, NHS Fife and Fife Coast and Countryside Trust in response to ongoing localised pollution pressure.

“Scottish Water has advised SEPA of its ongoing investigations to confirm the source of pollution impacting the Burn and the bathing water,” they said.

“We will continue to undertake water sampling at Kinghorn bathing water throughout the bathing water season, as well as sampling to understand the pollution sources in the catchment.

“SEPA are continuing to explore all appropriate regulatory measures available through its enforcement policy and guidance as well as relevant legislation.”