Priorsford Primary School Pupils joined by Cabinet Secretary to bury time capsule at new Water Treatment Works in Peebles

Local school children have buried a time capsule to mark the official opening of the innovative, new £30million Bonnycraig Water Treatment works in Peebles, Scottish Borders. 

On Thursday 17th August, pupils from Priorsford Primary School, buried the commemorative capsule and were joined by Cabinet Secretary Màiri McAllan MSP, Scottish Water CEO Alex Plant, and local politicians.

Filled with photos of the works being constructed, copies of the Peeblesshire news and Southern Reporter newspapers and letters from pupils to the P7s of 2053 explaining what life is like in 2023 and sharing their best water saving tips, the capsule will remain buried for the next 30 years.

“I am very pleased to join pupils from Priorsford Primary School and open this new Water Treatment Works, which will provide safe, clean drinking water for Peebles and the surrounding areas for years to come. 

“The many innovative features here reflect that Scottish Water is taking the need to meet our net zero commitments very seriously. We all need to use drinking water wisely and minimise wastage.

“Safe drinking water is essential for our health and to support Scotland’s economy, which is why Scottish Water is investing around £4.9billion between 2021 and 2027 in services to ensure the long-term protection of both public health and the environment.” 

The Bonnycraig Water Treatment Works supplies up to 4 million litres of water each day to households and businesses in Peebles, Eddleston, Eshiels and Lyne Station, and uses the latest water treatment technologies.

It was built offsite using low carbon construction techniques in 17 sections by Ross-shire Engineering at their factory in Muir of Ord, before arriving in Peebles.

288 solar photo-voltaic panels on the roof of the building supply around 10% of the site’s annual energy requirements, reducing its’ reliance on grid energy. 

Alex Plant, CEO at Scottish Water said;

“It has been brilliant to celebrate the opening of our newest water treatment works in the Borders, with school pupils and elected representatives. 

“This works demonstrates how we can efficiently and effectively deliver new, large scale, infrastructure quickly, with a lower impact on the environment compared to traditional construction methods.”

The works has been designed to blend into the landscape. Civil engineering partner Amey, ensured all of the soil, mud and stone which was dug up during construction has been used to screen the works from view while wildflowers and trees have been planted to help further camouflage the building. 

The new works replaces the existing one which was built in the 1970s and had come to the end of its serviceable life.

David Mundell MP, Councillors Viv Thomson, Marshall Douglas and Julie Pirone and community councillors Peter Maudsley and Graham Mackie were also in attendance and were given a tour of the works. 

Following the event, Scottish Water staff set up a stand on Tweed Green. They handed out nearly 300 free water bottles to passers-by in the space of an hour to celebrate the completion of the new water treatment works and promote their Top Up Tap.