Council bosses say repairs to the pipes that feed water to the South Inch pond are complete. It comes after the boating pond at the popular Perth park completely dried out this summer. However, it will take some time for the pond to re-fill, since it is supplied by the Craigie Burn, and needs the water levels there to be high enough.
Meanwhile a second Perth pond, at Norie-Miller Walk, remains empty. Specialists have been brought in to get to the bottom of the problem there. Locals have been raising the alarm about the state of the ponds at both beauty spots.
Passers-by have reported seeing dead water birds, where once there were swans and ducks. Others have been recalling when the South Inch pond was filled with rowing boats and families enjoying the fresh air. The Courier contacted Perth and Kinross Council with in the middle of July.
Locals said they have never seen the water level so low. The pond is owned and operated by the council, and is supposed to be topped up with water from the Craigie Burn. Perth and Kinross Council later confirmed local suspicions that the issue was caused by a blockage in the infill pipe.
The council has to abstract water from the Craigie Burn under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011. But there are limits to how much it is permitted to take each day. This is to protect the Craigie Burn itself.
The Courier raised similar at the end of July. They are normally one of the most popular features of the Norie-Mil.