Scottish Water is working on a project to provide a long term waste water solution for Stranraer, Cairnryan, Kirkcolm and Leswalt.
Once work is complete on the scheme, the site will be brought in line with the rest of Scotland through the installation of a modern waste water treatment process to replace outdated infrastructure.
The Loch Ryan 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 scheme is being carried out by a Leslie MWH joint venture.
A Scottish Water spokesman said:
“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.”
The spokesman added:
“Our Loch Ryan project will provide the first ever modern waste water treatment solution for Stranraer and surrounding villages.”
The project comprises 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 at Port Rodie to serve Stranraer. From Port Rodie, the flows will be pumped to another new treatment works 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.
The Port Rodie site will deliver additional benefits through modifications that provide storm storage. This aspect of the project is essential, as it will reduce the risk of the Stranraer network having to utilise storm overflow contingencies during times of heavy rainfall. During the work on Port Rodie, an existing toilet block – dating back to 1963 – was demolished to make way for the new storm water infrastructure.
Scottish Water is working closely with SEPA to ensure the project meets strict environmental standards, with work complying to a range of legal requirements.
Churchill Controls specialise in the design and supply of telemetry solutions using low power radio, GPRS and leased line. Working on the Loch Ryan project, Churchill Controls provided a number of radio telemetry outstations in order to monitor digital and analogue data from Port Rodie pumping station, Leswalt and Kirkcolm. Radio telemetry saved the impracticality and expense of cabling over several miles. Churchill Controls General Manager, Prakash Beegoo, said:
“We are proud over the years to have our telemetry solution deployed within Scottish Water, so when we were approached by Leslie MWH for their telemetry requirements for this flagship project, we ensured we provided a cost effective and well known solution within Scottish Water.”
Work began on the pumping station at Port Rodie in January 2011, with work taking place at the new Loch Ryan Waste Water Treatment Works in Leswalt in February 2011. Leswalt was originally considered as a standalone treatment facility along with the other communities of Kirkcolm, Stranraer and Ciarnryan, however, the chosen proposal was deemed the best option.
As the project has seen Scottish Water and the associated construction teams working in the local communities around Loch Ryan for quite some time, work has been carefully planned to minimise disruption. Anyone directly affected by the work was notified by letter or visited in person ahead of the work taking place. In addition, regular information events, where Scottish Water’s team provide updates and display plans, have also been taking place.
Scottish Water will operate and maintain the treatment works and all pumping stations. Visits to the remote pumping stations will be relatively infrequent, but there will be daily attendance at the main treatment works site.
For more information about the Loch Ryan project, please visit: www.scottishwater.co.uk.
