Scottish Water’s £4m investment in Larkhall network

Feb 4 2010 by Gary Fanning, Hamilton Advertiser

SCOTTISH Water have splashed out £4m in a bid to improve water quality and the environment in Larkhall.

As well as improving the waste water network across the town, the multi-million investment will enhance the natural environment and water quality in the Skelly Gill, Kitchen Burn, Avon Water and River Clyde.

The overall cost of the programme is currently set at £3,968,000 and consists of 12 separate projects across Larkhall, ranging from upgrades to pumping stations to closing off and redirecting the flows from old outfall pipes.

One of the projects involves work at 26 new manholes around Larkhall. Another is improving the Skellyton waste water treatment works near the Meadowhill area of the town.

The project is well underway with several key parts of the work complete.

Raymond O’Brien, waste water operations manager, said Scottish Water’s investment will bring the watercourses up to a standard which complies with new tighter EU standards for water quality.

“This work, while largely out of view, is of crucial importance to the environment in Larkhall. These modifications and improvements to the waste water network reduce the amount of storm water discharges in heavy weather. This results in improvements to the water quality in the watercourses and has a knock–on effect on related flora and fauna.”

The waste water network in Larkhall previously coped with heavy loads or storm conditions by occasionally releasing screened waste water into watercourses around the town, avoiding flooding of roads and possibly residences.

But the downside of this system is that it would reduce the water quality in the watercourses throughout the town and consequently impact on the River Clyde.

Mr O’Brien added: “The programme of work involves re-routing these points where water was previously released so that the potential for any pollution is greatly reduced.

“In storm conditions the network now has the capability to feed larger flows to the treatment works and avoid releasing untreated waste water into watercourses.”

Councillor Gerry Convery, chairman of South Lanarkshire Council’s community resources committee, welcomed the multi-million pound investment. He added: “Investment of this kind will have benefits now, but will also have to operate for many years to come.

“Scottish Water’s improvements will help protect housing in Larkhall and will benefit the environment by protecting local water courses and the burns and rivers which they run into.”