Small Leak at Dounreay Sparks New Safety Review

10th October 2025

A small leak of radioactive water at Dounreay has triggered a new environmental review but regulators say there is no danger to the public and that safety improvements are under way.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) confirmed that a minor leak occurred from a carbon bed filter, a piece of equipment used to clean contaminated water on the site.

The water contained very low levels of radioactive material, including alpha-emitting substances and Caesium-137.

"There's no evidence of increased radioactivity beyond the site," SEPA said. “The risk to people or the environment is considered negligible.”

Following the leak, SEPA ruled that the site operator — Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) — had breached environmental regulations and ordered the company to review its monitoring systems and assess whether any contamination spread beyond the immediate area.

So far, NRS monitoring has found no rise in downstream groundwater radioactivity.

Ongoing oversight

Dounreay remains under enhanced regulatory attention from the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), meaning inspectors are keeping a closer watch on safety performance and infrastructure.

The site has also faced other recent challenges:

Corrosion was discovered in steelwork used to store radioactive sodium.

Small leaks were identified from low-level waste pits last year.

A heavy contamination monitor tipped over in April, prompting an improvement notice that remains in force until later this month.

Despite these issues, ONR says there has been no uncontrolled release of radioactivity and that public safety is not at risk.

Aging infrastructure, growing scrutiny

Many of Dounreay’s current issues stem from aging infrastructure built during the early days of nuclear research. As the site continues its complex clean-up and decommissioning process, maintaining containment and updating monitoring systems are top priorities.

Local observers say the increased attention is both necessary and welcome.

“The important thing is transparency,” one community stakeholder said. “People just want to know that problems are being caught early and handled properly.”

What happens next

SEPA will publish further findings once its review of the carbon bed filter incident is complete.
Meanwhile, NRS has committed to strengthening inspection routines and corrosion control to prevent future leaks.

Regulators have stressed that routine environmental monitoring continues, with no signs of abnormal radiation levels in local air, water, or soil.