MORE than seven miles of new pipes are being installed to connect the south west of Glasgow’s water mains network with Ayrshire’s network.
Connecting the networks will allow for a two-way water supply between the Milngavie Water Treatment Works (WTW) system – which provides water for more than 700,000 people across Glasgow – and the Bradan WTW system – which supplies more than 200,000 customers across much of Ayrshire.
The new main will run from Ibrox to a reservoir storage tank in the Parkhouse/Darnley area. A new pumping station will be built in Ibrox which will push water to an existing station in Parkhouse/Darnley for onward distribution to Ayrshire.
Four tunnels – one under the M8 motorway and the Glasgow-Ayr railway line, another under the Paisley Canal railway and White Cart Water, another under the Glasgow-Barrhead-Kilmarnock railway, and one under the Levern Water – will be constructed along the route of the new main.
Scottish Water said that the design of the new network incorporates carbon reducing construction materials and methods including innovative self-restraining pipes. Solar panels will also be utilised to offset the power demands at the new Ibrox pumping station – with the new mains using gravity to reduce power by 60%.
Caledonia Water Alliance (CWA) will deliver the project on behalf of Scottish Water, with the organisation anticipating work to be completed by 2023.
Mark Dickson, Scottish Water’s director of capital investment, said, “Linking our supply systems will ensure that high quality drinking water can continue to be supplied to current customers and for generations to come.
“The investment in new pipelines and associated infrastructure below ground will also support the continued development above ground in communities across these areas and will enable them to continue to grow and thrive.”
