SCOTTISH Water is keeping swimmers and surfers “in the dark” over sewage spills, according to Surfers Against Sewage (SAS).

The environmental charity hit out as it launched its new Safer Seas and Rivers Service (SSRS) app to provide alerts whenever sewage is discharged within 2km of a designated bathing site around Britain.

SAS however argues that while Scottish Water published “limited data” on discharges in 2024, the publicly owned company has “never provided live sewage alerts,” hampering a comprehensive public alert system.

SAS’s Annie McKelvey said: “For too long, surfers and swimmers in Scotland have been kept in the dark about sewage pollution.

“With no legal requirement for alerts, Scottish Water has dragged its feet, leaving people exposed and without the warnings they need to stay safe.

“Scotland’s waters are not as clean as people think, and people are getting sick from sewage.

“We are using the data we can get to expose sewage dumping and issue real-time alerts through the SSRS app for water users in Scotland.

“It is not a perfect system, but in the face of inaction from Scottish Water and the government, the public deserves at least some form of protection.”

Scottish Water responded: “We are monitoring more overflows than ever before, providing more information on overflows than ever before and investing more than ever before in our waste water network.

“Scotland’s water quality is at its highest ever and we remain committed to targeting resources and investment to preserve and protect Scotland’s water environment.”

A Scottish government spokesperson said: “Ninety-seven per cent of Scotland’s bathing waters currently achieve the bathing water quality standards, with 85 per cent being rated ‘good’ or ‘excellent.’

“We take poor water quality reports very seriously.”