A PROBE has been launched after fuel was dropped into the sewer system in Glasgow’s East End leaving residents to deal with a chemical smell for over a day.
Firefighters were called out several times in the last day to deal with the lingering smell which affected residents in Bridgeton, Dalmarnock and Parkhead.
They received several calls from members of the public about the smell and were first called out to Swanston Street, Dalmarnock at around 6.45pm on Wednesday.
During the call-out, firefighters engaged in flushing sewers.
They were then called out to a commercial premises on London Road yesterday at around 10.52am.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said they evacuated and ventilated the building.
They also visited the nearby Emirates Arena which was evacuated as a precautionary measure.
Glasgow Club warned gym users that the facility was not available on Thursday while other clubs such as Netball Scotland advised they would be closed.
The emergency response comes after residents complained about a smell in the area.
Jackie Coulter said: “It was so bad in our work, it was like gas.”
Suzie Wallace said: “I thought it smelt like patrol. It’s all over my street and my close smells of patrol.”
It is unclear how the fuel ended up in the sewer system but Scottish Water have confirmed they will investigate.
They explained that the sewer part of their network was affected and customers could still use water in their homes as normal.
A Scottish Water spokesman said: “A suspected fuel discharge has gone into Scottish Water’s waste water (sewer) network and has led to a chemical odour which has been reported in the Dalmarnock, Bridgeton and Parkhead areas of Glasgow.
“The majority of the fuel liquid has been contained and removed. However, the odours are persisting.”
He added: “Scottish Water is flushing parts of its network in the area to try to disperse the odour and is assisting the SFRS in safely venting the sewerage system. Scottish Water is also liaising with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
“Scottish Water will continue to monitor the waste water network in the area and investigate the cause of the suspected fuel discharge.”
The SFRS left the scene yesterday and SEPA confirmed that their officers were contacted about the issue.
A spokesman from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) said: “SEPA officers are aware of a fuel-like odour in the Dalmarnock area of Glasgow, which is reportedly coming from the local sewage network.
“While SEPA is monitoring the situation in case of any reported impact on the local water environment, odours from the sewage or drainage system are a matter for Scottish Water and the local authority.”
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