Families ill with vomiting bugs and diarrhoea after sewage floods Scottish caravan park

Residents at Double Dykes Caravan Park say they have been hit with vomiting bugs and bouts of diarrhoea. Picture: Google Street View

Waste overflowing from drains flooded the ground at the Double Dykes Caravan Park near Ruthvenfield Industrial Park contaminating some of the 20 homes and leaving residents ill.

Council officials were made aware of blocked drains on 8 September but a private contractor was unable to resolve the matter, say residents.

Caravan occupants have complained of waste water seeping from under their raised chalets, ruining children's toys, backing up into toilets and even coming out of their taps.

Scottish Water say the drainage fault has been sorted and that there is now no issue affecting the public sewer serving the caravan park.

However, residents are complaining that no environmental officials have visited the park to properly deal with the mess that has been left behind.

As recently as Thursday, 12 September there was still evidence of human waste and paper visible on public pavements.

Site operator Perth and Kinross Council has reportedly sent a communication to residents, advising them to keep clear from affected areas, make sure infants and pets stay indoors and to report any related health matters to their GP.

Speaking to the Daily Record, one parent said the sewage had destroyed her new carpet and made her family sick and suffering from bouts of "severe diarrhoea".

They fumed: “I’m sick and my three children are sick too, we’ve had severe diarrhoea, still got it.

“My second child has bad asthma attacks and allergies, he’s weak.

“I’m totally horrified, we’ve had this muck everywhere. My house is never going to be clean again.

“I’m just six weeks with a brand new carpet, it will have to go even though I’ve paid up six months.

“No amount of disinfectant is going to make me feel its ok to let them play on the carpet now.”

Another resident said their teenage son, who has a medical condition that requires him to be fed through a tube, had been ill with a vomiting bug since the drainage issue first arose.

A spokesperson for Scottish Water said: “Following reports of blocked drains received from residents at Double Dykes Caravan Park on Tuesday, September 10, our local team attended on Wednesday 11 and confirmed that there is no issue affecting the public sewer that serves the site.

“The drains within the caravan park are the responsibility of Perth and Kinross Council as the site owner and we understand that the council is working to resolve the situation.”