"We're Finding 500 Wet Wipes Every Time": Scotland's Hidden Pollution Crisis

Just the other day I found myself talking with a Native Hawaiian near the Sugar Mill in Waialua. Our conversation touched on my topics but the underlying theme was respect for the land, a central component to any indigenous society. 

We spoke of the beaches of the North Shore and he was sad to see how often he found trash that others left behind, one item in particular–wet wipes. Unfortunately, this isn’t only an issue in Hawaii and is the theme in the film Turning Tides which brings to light the issue of septic pollution in Scotland.

Known for being a remote, beautiful location defined by open landscapes and more than just a few remarkable waves, Scotland is not the first place you think of when you think of pollution. But that is exactly what Frank Neate, a former water industry engineer, discovers on his beach walks. One day, after finding tampons and wet wipes when there hadn’t been rain in months, he knew something was really wrong and that swimmers and surfers were at risk.

He works with local surf nonprofit, The Wave Project, as well as member of the Marine Conservation Society to take on Scottish Water and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA).

In one of the first exchanges of the film he tells a swimmer, “Do you know that there is a sewage outfall there and you’ve been swimming next to it?” The swimmer was in disbelief and said that “they” (the government) would not allow that to happen.”

The swimmer’s sentiment reflects a larger belief that, in developed nations like Scotland, there’s no pollution to worry about in public areas like beaches. More frequently than any official would like to admit, that is a misconception. Problems like pollution and contamination are often downplayed or intentionally kept out of the public consciousness. 

Of his professional history, Frank says, “I got involved with the water industry with two major companies down south, one in the River Thames. I visited 365 sewage pumping stations in three months and had to write a report on each one. I was involved with the design aspects and necessary upgrades to make sewage works compatible with EU regulations in the 80s. When I come up here…I see that it doesn’t meet the standards that I would have expected. "

Scotland Conservation Officer, and member of the Marine Conservation Society, Catherine Gemmel-Thompson explains, "A lot of our sewer system is still the Victorian system (from the late late 1800s) that has just been kind of built on and built on. But as we're seeing climate change and as we're seeing more people using products like wet wipes and flushing them and causing these blockages, what we're seeing on the beach is more and more of this sewage related debris turning up as well. If you're finding wet wipes and other items that look like they've come from a sewer system, there's going to be other things in the water there that are going to potentially make you sick."

Kirsty Crawford, also of the Marine Conservation Society, who has participated in many beach cleanups says, "We are consistently (finding) well over 400, 500 wet wipes every single time I come here. So I could come back next week and we'd find another 600. And so the story goes on."

Frank decides to confront the water authority with his findings to help protect the innocent beachgoers, like children who are learning to surf as part of a local nonprofit called The Wave Project, from getting sick from the sewage. 

What they didn’t know was that he is an absolute weapon that wasn’t going to take any bullshit.