Scottish Water has completed an important upgrade to its waste water infrastructure in the Cathcart area of Glasgow to improve the natural environment of the White Cart Water.
The £1.2m project, which is part of Scottish Water’s ongoing £250m, five-year investment in the Greater Glasgow area’s waste water infrastructure, involved the construction of a new Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) with a screen and pipework at Holmhead Crescent.
The investment will improve the natural environment of the White Cart Water where a pre-existing CSO had no screen. The new infrastructure will mean that in storm conditions when the new CSO discharges into the river, solids will remain in the sewer network.
As part of the project, the water company relocated a number of otters from the south to the north bank of the river before construction work began.
Otters are given protection under the Conservation (Natural habitats) Regulations 1994 as a European protected species - Scottish Water and its contractors George Leslie were granted a licence from Scottish Natural Heritage in order to carry out the work.
A man-made otter holt on the south bank of the river was replaced by a newly constructed holt on the north bank and special gates were installed which were used in the relocation process to encourage the otters to make the new holt their home.
Allan Dougall, Scottish Water’s project manager, said:
“Otters are fully protected under the conservation regulations and, in liaison with Scottish Natural Heritage, we moved the local population on this stretch of the White Cart Water from its holt on the south bank to a new holt on the opposite side. The operation was delicate and took some time, but we are delighted that it was successful and the otters are carrying on as normal in their new home.
“Scottish Water takes its environmental responsibilities very seriously and, in accordance with the regulations, did everything possible to protect the otters and avoid them being adversely affected by our work and the new infrastructure.”
After the otters were moved to their new holt, and the old one was decommissioned, work started on the construction of the new CSO.
The project, which has been completed on schedule, was carried out for Scottish Water by contractors George Leslie.
The first phase of the main construction work included the installation of a small kiosk, or electrical cabinet, which controls the CSO and construction of a new pipe and headwall next to the river to relieve the sewer system during storm events. CSOs are designed to spill to watercourses in heavy weather to help prevent flooding - allowed under Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) regulations.
On completion of the first phase, the river embankment and surrounding areas was reinstated.
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