The publicly-owned company is starting a £250m five-year programme of work that will improve water quality of the River Clyde.
It will also alleviate sewer flooding and enable the Greater Glasgow area to continue to grow and develop, the company said.
The £250m investment is the first stage of a planned £500m programme to upgrade Greater Glasgow’s waste water infrastructure.
The first stage includes:
- Upgrades to around 200 combined sewer overflows (CSOs) on the River Clyde and tributaries such as the River Kelvin and White Cart Water at a cost of about £105m
- Waste water improvements in the southwest of Glasgow to remove excess surface water from areas with known pinch points in the system at a cost of around £100m
- A number of key projects to tackle flooding in parts of the city at a cost of around £45m.
Scottish Water’s investment follows years of collaboration and studies by the Metropolitan Glasgow Strategic Drainage Partnership (MGSDP), which includes Scottish Water, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Glasgow City Council.
The MGSDP has carried out comprehensive studies and computer modelling to understand how watercourses and drainage systems interact.
Scottish Water asset management director Geoff Aitkenhead said: “By working with our MGSDP partners, we have been able to find integrated drainage solutions for the future which will provide knowledge and experience that can be used across the rest of Scotland, with the Glasgow area being seen as a template of good practice.”
Glasgow City Council leader Gordon Matheson said: “I welcome Scottish Water’s major investment announcement. As a city built on the banks of the River Clyde, we are keenly aware of the importance of looking after and managing our natural resources.
“Waste water facilities are something we can take for granted but they provide a vital service for every one of us – 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
