Fair benefits from Shetland for Scottish Water Vision
Shetland MSP Tavish Scott saw for himself the benefits of Scottish Water’s 2010 Vision for Shetland – a massive programme of improvements providing more reliable supplies of clearer, fresher drinking water, a cleaner environment and more capacity to enable development.
Scottish Water also revealed that £5.9million of improvements has been made throughout the islands since April 2007 with a further £11.3million expected to be delivered by April 2009. The total investment between 2006 and 2010 is expected to be at least £18million.
Sandy McConnachie, Scottish Water’s team manager for the Northern Isles, said:
“Whether it’s new pipes or improvements at treatment works, there’s no doubt that we’re investing heavily in Shetland. Our vision is that by 2010 customers throughout the islands will have more reliable supplies of clearer, fresher drinking water and a cleaner environment.
We’re also working closely with planners and developers to ensure that our investment helps growth. And all this investment is happening while our charges remain among the lowest in the UK.”
Major projects already complete include:
- Unst £523,000 drinking water upgrade recently completed. Refurbished filters and control equipment mean a more consistent quality of water for customers and new communications technology to alert staff of any problems means less chance of customers going out of supply.
- Mid Yell to Vatsetter £126,000 water main replacement means fewer interruptions for customers
Major projects recently started and due to be complete this year include:
- Scalloway £975,000 waste water upgrade including new sewers and a treatment works to improve the quality of effluent discharges, protecting the local environment
- Lerwick and Sumburgh £1.3million for new water mains to replace old cast iron pipes which have caused supplies to appear yellow or brown. The sections in the Mansefield, Lovers Loan, Knab Road, St Sunniva Street and Cheyne Crescent areas of Lerwick area have been completed.
- Yell £6.5million drinking water upgrade – new pipes are being laid to connect the island’s three water supplies to provide a more reliable service
- Cunningsburgh £540,000 sewer upgrade to help alleviate flooding
- Foula £400,000 drinking water upgrade
- Ninian Drive/Hestingott £330,000 replacement septic tank and sea outfall to clean up the environment
- Mossbank & Firth refurbished sewer system and new manholes, resulting in fewer blockages and a cleaner environment
- Bigton £340,000 new service reservoir (storage tank of treated drinking water) to improve quality and pressure
Major projects due to start in the coming months include:
- Fair Isle £500,000 drinking water upgrade
- Papa Stour £752,000 drinking water upgrade
- Eela Water (North Mainland) £5.5million drinking water upgrade
- Whalsay £150,000 drinking water upgrade
- Bressay £200,000 water main renewal to reduce interruptions to customers
