Diesel Spill Clogs Perthshire Water Supply

Bottled water is being delivered to villagers in Killin, Perthshire, for the second consecutive day due to a diesel spillage contaminating the River Dochart. Scottish Water has advised residents not to use their tap water for drinking, cooking, or washing, with its only permitted use being for flushing toilets. This measure is a precaution after the contamination affected a local water treatment plant, which was shut down. The incident originated from an attempted fuel theft at a petrol station, which caused damage to a fuel tank and led to a significant amount of diesel entering the river. Teams are working around the clock to restore the water treatment works and network to normal operations, a process expected to take several days. Residents have been warned that boiling the water will not make it safe to consume. Scottish Water is collaborating with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) and NHS partners to monitor water quality and flush the pipe system. A hot food van is also available to assist residents who cannot prepare meals without safe tap water. Certas Energy, which operates the petrol station, confirmed an attempted theft that damaged a fuel tank and stated that investigations are ongoing with multiple agencies. Sepa confirmed receiving several reports of river contamination. Specific postcode areas in Killin have been identified as affected.