Scottish Water has fast-tracked a multi-million-pound sewer upgrade following a spate of bursts in recent months between Renfrew and Shieldhall waste water treatment works.

The first phase of the more-than £10 million investment to upgrade the main sewer is about to get underway on Monday 5 February when work to construct a temporary 840 metres overland pipeline along will begin.

Georgina Reid, Scottish Water’s corporate affairs manager in the west said:

“This will be the first opportunity to appreciate the sheer scale of the project and what it will achieve.

“The temporary pipe will run for over half a mile, carrying the full pressurised flows of waste water allowing our engineers to reline the existing underground pipe.

“The technique effectively delivers a brand new pipe within the old pipe, all but eliminating the chance of it bursting along its relined length.

Giant sections of pipe will be bolted together to form the temporary overland pipeline, while specialised valves will connect the temporary pipeline to the existing underground sewer

The temporary pipeline is expected to be operational by the end of April when the pressurised waste water flows from the Renfrew pumping station will be switched over.

Access pits at strategic points along the route of the existing sewer will then be excavated and the lining material fed down and drawn through the centre of the pipe.

Georgina Reid added:

“This first phase deals with the most burst-prone section of the sewer and we are also developing plans to upgrade the upstream and downstream sections.

“We are committing one of our biggest single sewer upgrade investments in the west to provide peace of mind to residents, road users and customers and protect the environment.”

The project is being delivered by Scottish Water’s alliance partner Caledonia Water Alliance and their specialist contractors.

The first phase is expected to be completed by November 2024.