Scottish Water has completed a delicate operation to remove nine vehicles illegally abandoned in Lower Glen Dam in Gleniffer Braes Country Park, Paisley.
While the reservoir has never been used for the supply of drinking water, local residents had raised concerns when the cars were uncovered during the dry weather last year
A 38 year-old Vauxhall Carlton, a 35 year-old Vauxhall Astra and a 34 year-old Nissan Prairie were among the haul which were lifted out of the Lower Glen Dam Reservoir in Gleniffer Braes Country Park.
Meticulous and lengthy planning was required to ensure the operation - the first of its kind for Scottish Water - went without a hitch.
The process required meticulous planning to avoid impact on the environment and ensure the safety of the specialist teams on site. It also involved close liaison with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Police Scotland and the Ayrshire Rivers Trust.
The team, led by Scottish Water’s contractors George Leslie, included specialist divers and environmental protection experts.
In the run-up to removal day, the water level of the reservoir was gradually lowered daily to bring it to a workable level that would help mitigate for any possible environmental impact. Rigorous testing and monitoring of the water was carried out on a regular basis.
Additional mitigation measures were put in place to help avoid any impact on the local water environment. A fish rescue was carried out by Ayrshire Rivers Trust and booms were positioned to help soak up any potential contaminants.
Gerry O’Hara, Scottish Water project manager, said the water company is now refilling the reservoir to its original level in a controlled manner and continuing to test water quality to ensure there are no issues.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency said:
"Collaborative work between agencies is positive and essential to ensure the environment is considered at every stage.
"Because of the complexity of the removal process, detailed discussions were held between SEPA and Scottish Water.
"SEPA was provided with a risk assessment from Scottish Water ahead of the works, which included steps that would be taken to prevent or minimise pollution to the water environment.
“We are pleased the works passed without incident and steps have been taken to positively improve the local environment.”
It is believed that the illegally dumped cars could have been submerged in the water at Lower Glen Dam since around the 1990’s.
A new gate has now been installed in the park to prevent similar incidents happening again. Further preventative measures including the installation of barriers around the reservoir are also now being considered by Scottish Water in consultation with Renfrewshire Council.
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