Scottish Water has published its 25-year strategic plan to help deliver Scotland’s future public water services and protect the environment.

The blueprint – A Sustainable Future Together – outlines the impact of the changing climate and how the organisation will reduce emissions to become net zero.

The plan highlights how future investment in vital infrastructure and assets, which were not designed to cope with the changing climate, must combine with innovative and sustainable ways of dealing with climate change and support economic growth.

The plan outlines key areas of work to be delivered - key elements include:

• taking a systems based approach
• working in partnership to protect source waters
• boosting the capability of water treatment works
• increasing the resilience of supplies
• removing lead from the public water network by 2045
• reduced leakage
• improved operational efficiency
• development of Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans

The water company is also planning to generate more energy from bio-resources. Currently Scottish Water generates 40 Gigawatt hours (GWh) per annum of renewable energy from its bio-resources, predominantly at assets managed under Private Finance Initiatives (PFI). The paper says there is potential to increase this by up to 100GWh pa. The utility is working with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to look for opportunities for co-digestion with other wastes

Launching the plan, Chief Executive Douglas Millican said:

“Scotland’s water is one of our most precious natural resources. But changes to our climate will increasingly affect the water cycle and our management of it to keep customers supplied at their taps.

“It also impacts on the handling and treatment of waste water before we return it safely to the environment.

“We must take steps now - but also plan out to the mid-century and beyond - to replace and upgrade our infrastructure across Scotland. By doing this we will safeguard and enhance our services at the same time as responding to climate change – whether hotter, drier summers or more frequent intense storms.”

The water company put customers are at the heart of the plan – Scottish Water consulted, engaged and listened to more than 25,000 people to capture a full range of public views and priorities.

Over the course of the next year Scottish Water will prepare a Delivery Plan for the 2021-27 period setting out its plans and priorities for the first part of the strategic plan period, including milestones and targets that will be updated annually thereafter.

A detailed action plan is now being drawn up to drive the organisation towards Net Zero five years ahead of national targets, as detailed in the Programme for Government in September 2019.

Click here to download the Strategic Plan A Sustainable Future Together