Allowing raw sewage to be pumped into Edinburgh's waterways has been compared to 're-legalising gardyloo' - as calls are made for urgent action to address the "scandal".
Environmental groups which monitor rivers and burns across the city say there has been an "obvious increase" in discharges of human waste and accused the organisations responsible for water quality of "marking each other's homework".
And it was acknowledged at a city council meeting that the true extent of the problem "remains unknown" due to a lack of monitoring of overflow outputs.
