Scottish Water to upgradewaste water infrastructure in Glasgow, Scotland

Scottish Water has announced that it will take up a project at an investment of £250m ($379m) to modernise the aging wastewater infrastructure in greater Glasgow, Scotland.

The five-year long project is a part of the planned programme to upgrade and improve the area’s wastewater infrastructure, which is expected to attract an investment of about GBP500m ($758m).

Scottish Water will use the first stage of the investment to continue improving the water quality of River Clyde and its natural environment.

The investment will also boost the development of the greater Glasgow area and allow it to deal with and alleviate the issues related to sewer flooding, increased rainfall, and climate change.

Scottish Water will use about £105m ($159m) to upgrade about 200 combined sewer overflows, outfall pipes and safety valves on the River Clyde, and its tributaries such as the River Kelvin and White Cart Water, to control wastewater during heavy rainfall.

The company will also undertake wastewater improvement work in the south-west region of Glasgow to clear the excess surface water from known pinch points, which result in restrictions in the system, at a cost of about £100m ($151m).

In addition, an investment of about £45m ($68m) will be used to undertake a number of projects to tackle flooding in parts of the city.

The investment in the project followed a comprehensive study conducted by the Metropolitan Glasgow Strategic Drainage Partnership (MGSDP) in collaboration with Scottish Water, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), and the Glasgow City Council.

Scottish Water Asset Management director and MGSDP board member Geoff Aitkenhead said the investment will help to improve Glasgow’s wastewater infrastructure and address the needs of growth and development.

"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," Aitkenhead added.

"Scottish Water’s investment is only one part of the answer, although a major component, to the pressures on the drainage network to cope with the sheer volume of waste water and surface water run-off happening in today’s climate and the anticipated climate of the future."

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Image: The investment will help to upgrade waste water infrastructure in Glasgow area and will also continue to improve the water quality of River Clyde. Photo: Courtesy of Dave souza.