Going With the Flow - Major Milestone for Multi-Million-Pound Project

A key milestone has been reached in Scottish Water’s multi-million-pound project to upgrade an important rising sewer main serving customers in Renfrew and Glasgow.

A temporary overland pipeline stretching nearly a kilometre along King’s Inch Road is now operational, carrying flows of waste water.

This will allow the existing rising main - which has been prone to repeated bursts over recent years - to be upgraded.

Scottish Water Alliance Manager Robert Archer said: “Commissioning of the temporary overland bypass will come as a huge relief to customers who have been impacted significantly each time there has been a burst.

“The poor condition of the existing pipe has left the rising main vulnerable which is why we have accelerated such a significant investment so quickly.

“With the temporary pipeline carrying the flows and the existing pipe decommissioned there will be no more bursts on that stretch.”

Access pits at strategic points along the route of the existing rising main are now being excavated where lining material will be fed down and drawn through the centre of the pipe.

The technique effectively delivers a brand-new pipe within the old pipe, significantly reducing the chance of it bursting along its relined length.

It is the first phase of a more-than £10million investment which has been fast-tracked at an unprecedented pace following repeated bursts.

Robert Archer added: “The existing pipe was so vulnerable we had two bursts while we were constructing the temporary pipeline.

“During the most recent, the project team worked flat out to get the bypass up and running ahead of schedule.

“Scottish Water is investing record levels – around a billion pounds a year – to repair, renew and replace vital assets.

“We have been immensely grateful for the patience and understanding of the local community over recent months and every effort has been made to get this project designed and delivered as soon as possible.”

The first phase deals with the most burst-prone section of the sewer while plans are being developed to upgrade the upstream and downstream sections.

The work is being delivered by the public utility’s alliance partner Caledonia Water Alliance (CWA) and their specialist contractors and is expected to be completed by November 2024.