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Ex-manager of Wet Wet Wet seeking compensation after claiming windfarm has contaminated water supply
Credit: By Craig McDonald | Daily Record and Sunday Mail | Nov 09, 2014 | www.dailyrecord.co.uk ~~
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Translate: FROM English | TO English
The former manager of Wet Wet Wet has claimed Britain’s largest windfarm is contaminating the water supply to his home.
Elliot Davis is locked in a dispute with ScottishPower, who run the massive wind turbine development covering 20 square miles of Eaglesham Moor.
The Whitelee Windfarm began generating in 2008. Work on a 75-turbine extension started three years ago.
Tests taken last year, following concerns raised by Elliot, showed iron levels 27 times over the regulatory limit and cloudiness at 10 times what is deemed acceptable.
Whitelee’s 215 turbines are each over 200ft high and Elliot believes work on cabling and foundations is responsible
for the contamination.
Elliot, who moved to the area nine years ago, said: “There are three properties here served by a private water supply and we noticed consistent problems with the water’s colour around the time the extension was built.
“The colourisation began to concern me to such an extent that I asked East Ayrshire Council to test it last December. When we compared it with previous test results from 2004, the proverbial hit the fan.”
Results from 2004 show the water at Elliot’s home, on the edge of the moor, was deemed satisfactory with “no odour” and was described as “very pale yellow, clear”.
The test carried out last December described the water’s appearance as “orange/yellow, very cloudy with significant amount of suspended solids”.
The water’s turbidity, or cloudiness, was 10 times the maximum level allowed. In 2004, it was well below.
Iron levels were more than 30 times higher last year than a decade ago – and 27 times over the regulatory limit. Manganese levels had also increased, from just under the allowed level to 14 times over it.
Elliot, 49, said: “The test results speak for themselves. The colour and quality of the water has significantly decreased over
the past few years. During this time, there has only been one major change in the landscape here – the windfarm.
“ScottishPower told us the tank from which we get our water is fed by a spring and is not affected by the windfarm. But my neighbour and I discovered that a stream runs from the moor where the turbines are, passes under a road and runs past the tank.”
Elliot, who’s hired a firm to rebuild the supply system, said: “I believe ScottishPower did not take appropriate steps to protect our supply. They should compensate us for the loss and stress we’ve suffered.”
Elliot, who runs his own hi-fi cabling company, discovered and managed Wet Wet Wet for over a decade until 1997 when the band split.
ScottishPower said: “We do not believe work at Whitelee has affected any private water supplies. We have been contacted recently by Mr Davis and we will respond to his concerns.
“Magnesium and iron can be found, dissolved, in water, particularly well water like Mr Davis’s supply.”
East Ayrshire Council said: “We are working to investigate the situation.”
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