Black & Veatch has started work on a new wastewater treatment works (WWTW) that will protect the natural environment by ending discharges of raw sewage into the Cromarty Firth, a sheltered bay on the northeast coast of Scotland.
The £17-million project, located at Belleport, a greenfield site midway between Alness and Invergordon in the Scottish Highlands, comprises the design, procurement, construction, commissioning and handover of a new WWTW and sludge treatment center.
Existing sewage sites at Alness Point and Rosskeen are being converted into pumping stations that will eventually transfer wastewater to the new works for treatment before discharge to the Cromarty Firth, famous for its birdlife and cruise liner visits.
“This vital project will ensure water released into coastal waters is treated to a high standard, protecting the aquatic environment for marine life in this special area of Scotland,” said Steve Miller, Black & Veatch’s director, Project Centre Scotland. “We look forward to continuing our relationship as delivery partner for Scottish Water Solutions, using Black & Veatch expertise to deliver this important wastewater treatment center to two communities.”
When complete, Alness and Invergordon WWTW will serve a population of 22,000. Sludge produced from conventional processes at the works will be thickened and treated with lime to produce a recycled product for local use.
Glyn Lloyd, project manager for Scottish Water Solutions, said: “This modern treatment works will afford the area’s environment the same level of protection enjoyed elsewhere in the Highlands. The new works has been designed to ensure that new homes being built and planned in the area can connect to the public sewer network. It’s a major construction project, but we’ll do everything we can to keep disruption to a minimum.”
The 15-month project forms part of Scottish Water’s “2010 Vision for the Highlands,” a £200 million investment campaign of improvements throughout the north of Scotland.
Source: Black & Veatch
