Nothing ruins Christmas like sewage running through the streets of your home town. Deja vu all over again. Since December 22, sewage has been bubbling up to the surface and covering the streets of Hawthornvale, Scotland. Residents complained continually throughout the week but it wasn't until local media took an interest in the story did anything get down to alleviate the problem. "We were all told by customer services something would be done about it," said angry resident, Jonathon Harris. "At times it can be pretty foul smelling. It's a real mess of toilet paper and what can only be described as feces flowing down the side of the pavement in the gutter. It's absolutely disgusting and when it's wet, you can't see what you're walking in."

The sewer utility, Scottish Waters, finally stopped the leak on Monday (New Years Eve!!) but not soon enough for some. Dr Chris Mackel, 62, said he returned home from a holiday on December 27 to find the sewage still pouring past his front door: "I reported it twice to the council and then to Scottish Water to complain about the problem. So when I came back and saw it worse I contacted the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to see if they could help. ...But it's still bad and I'd say there's probably about three centimeters been gurgling up from the drains. It's an absolute health hazard." Everyone, including the Scots, deserve healthy communities.

Now the Spills of the Week:

Enchanted isn't the Word I would Use: Heavy rains in Hawaii caused more than 13,000 gallons of sewage to overflow from a manhole into Enchanted Lake. The spill happened at Keolu Drive and Hele Street on Monday morning and entered Enchanted Lake, which flows into Kailua Bay. Storm waters exceeded the flow capacity of the sewer lines, resulting in pressure buildup. An illegal connection could have also played a part in the spill, officials said. Warning signs were posted.
- December 31, 2007: KITV http://TheHawaiiChannel.com - Honolulu, HI

The Root of the Problem: A 350-gallon sewage spill at Hoover Street in Carlsbad, CA ended up in the Agua Hedionda Lagoon, portions of which were closed for swimming. Carlsbad just can't catch a break from sewage spills. A tree root blocked a main sewer line, rupturing the pipe and causing water to spill out of a manhole and onto the street, the county's Department of Environmental Health said. The sewage then went into a storm drain that empties into the lagoon.
- December 31, 2007: North County Times - Carlsbad, CA

Rain Rain Go Away: Heavy rains over the weekend forced sewage overflows in Mobile and Baldwin counties in Alabama. The Mobile Area Water and Sewer System reported a sewage spill Sunday at Pecan Street and Butchers Lane in Toulminville. About 18,000 gallons of untreated sewage and rainwater seeped into Three Mile Creek. The other spill in Mobile County occurred in the town of Prichard when about 16,000 gallons of sewage spilled out of a manhole at Whistler and Patricia Streets. That water and sewage mix ended up pouring into and contaminating the Gum Tree Branch.
- January 1, 2008, WKRG News Channel 5 - Mobile, AL

Bah Sump Dump: Heavy rains two days before Christmas prompted officials to dump untreated sewage into a ditch along Melrose Road to avoid the possibility of raw sewage backups into area homes in Owasco, NY. State Department of Environmental Conservation spokeswoman Maureen Wren said town officials admitted last week to investigators the sewage was dumped into a ditch along Melrose Road near Archie Street. The town diverted sewage dumped it into the ditch to prevent it from flowing back into basements. The sewage eventually flowed into the Owasco River.
- January 1, 2008: The Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY

Pooparatory School: A Southern Colorado boarding school is working closely with local and state health officials to clean up a sewage spill. Two weeks ago, the main service line backed up at Fountain Valley School of Colorado causing raw sewage to flow out of three nearby manholes. A large area of the Widefield Community Park was contaminated. Lime was sprayed on the area to kill pathogens and mitigate the odor.
- January 3, 2008: KKTV News - Colorado Springs, CO

Go Bulldogs: The Macon Water Authority cleaned up a 1,036-gallon sewage spill Sunday at Lawton Avenue and Vine Street. The spill, caused by grease, contaminated a storm drain that feeds the Ocmulgee River, according to an MWA news release. State environmental officials consider the spill minor if it is less than 10,000 gallons and therefore goes unreported to the public. Anyone that has had any amount of sewage tracked in or backed up into in their home would take probably serious issue with the state's policy to leave them uninformed about the problem.
- January 3, 2008: The Macon Telegraph, Macon, GA