Scotland

£25 million water improvements bring clear benefits to Scottish Loch

Loch Ryan 5th Nov

 Scottish Water’s £25 million Loch Ryan project is now at an advanced stage, bringing a modern waste water treatment system to Stranraer, Leswalt, Kirkcolm and Cairnryan.

The scheme is necessary to satisfy the legal requirements of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive and Shellfish Directive, and will deliver significant improvements to the water quality and shellfish environment in Loch Ryan.

The project involves the demolition of the existing waste water treatment works (WWTW) at Port Rodie and the retirement of three WWTWs at Cairnryan, Leswalt and Kirkcolm. New facilities replacing the old treatment works include a new pumping station being built at Port Rodie which serves Stranraer. From Port Rodie, the flows will be pumped to another new treatment works being constructed at Smithy Hill near Leswalt, after which the flows will undergo secondary biological treatment before being pumped to Larbrax Bay to be discharged into the Irish Sea.

Loch Ryan

The secondary treatment works includes an inlet works with screening, screening handling and grit removal processes, primary settlement; a plastic structured media biofilter; sludge management comprising holding tanks and thickening processes; final settlement facilities and a pumping station to discharge treated effluent.

Stephen Hepburn, Construction Manager, Scottish Water, said:

“This is great news for the area. After years of studies and surveys to assess the best option for an extremely difficult civil engineering challenge, Scottish Water is removing the permanent discharge of waste water to Loch Ryan.

“The waste water from the surrounding communities will receive a greater level of treatment than is currently provided.”

Loch Ryan

Work at the Port Rodie site to construct a new pumping station is entering the next phase now that the large excavation for the station is completed and covered.

The pumping station building will be constructed on top of this and has been designed in consultation with local planners to be in harmony with other buildings in the area.

Work on the new treatment works near Leswalt is also well advanced. Major excavation works have been completed for the new tanks which will process the waste water from Stranraer and the surrounding villages of Kirkcolm and Leswalt.

Construction of the new Cairnryan Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW), a joint project with Stena, was completed in October. The original plan was to construct a pumping station to carry Cairnryan’s waste to the new Loch Ryan WWTW, but the ongoing energy costs and maintenance made the option of a shared facility with the ferry terminal a preferable option. This facility will offer a three-tier level of water treatment that will protect and enhance the natural environment in Loch Ryan.

The next stage of this improvement programme involves laying a new section of sewer from the Pumping Station at Port Rodie to the new works at Smithy Hill near Leswalt.

Loch Ryan Bankseat

Stephen Hepburn said:

“For this work we will be using the traditional open trench method which involves excavating the entire length of the sewer from ground level to the full depth required.

“In order to ensure overall safety temporary road restrictions will need to be put in place.  This will include local control by temporary traffic lights, restriction of on-street parking and in some areas temporary road closures.

“Part of this work is located on Seabank Road, Sheuchan Street, Foreland Place, Leswalt High Road and Spring Bank Road.”

Stephen continued:

“Our Loch Ryan project will provide the first ever modern waste water treatment solution for Stranraer and surrounding villages.”

The project is expected to be complete in late 2012.

Loch Ryan terminal bldg

Huber Technology

For over 20 years Huber Technology has provided state-of-the-art stainless steel equipment for municipal and industrial waste water treatment. This includes supplying water companies with inlet screens, sludge screens, thickeners and dewaterers and tertiary treatment along with a comprehensive line of stainless steel equipment.

Huber Technology works closely with all of the major water companies, as well as their main contractors and consultants. Along with the current longstanding frameworks that they hold with the water companies, Huber Technology has just been awarded a further two frameworks for the supply of sludge thickeners and dewaterers.

On Loch Ryan Huber Technology UK supplied sludge thickeners and control panels to suit the requirements of Scottish Water.

Huber Technology Marketing Co-ordinator Hannah Ryan, said:

“We have a great reputation within the industry and supply high quality products for all of the industry’s water treatment needs.

“It’s very important for us to be involved in projects like Loch Ryan. We have a large range of products suitable for a variety of applications and we have a lot of experience in working with Scottish Water and the water industry.”

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