Scottish Water is to deliver the second phase of a multi-million-pound multi-phase project to upgrade an important sewer main serving an Ayrshire beauty spot.
Running between a pumping station in Saltcoats to the treatment works in Stevenston, the rising sewer main carries up to 700 litres of waste water per second under high pressure.
The £5.5 million second phase will see twin overland temporary pipelines installed to allow the existing underground pipe to be relined making it significantly less likely to burst.
Scottish Water Alliance Team Manager Andrew Hannah said:
“Given the location – under a caravan park and close to the sea – it is vital that we carry out this upgrade to protect customers and the environment.
“There have been a number of bursts on other sections of the rising main so this work will bring huge peace of mind.
“The relining technique effectively creates a brand-new pipe inside the existing one dramatically reducing the chances of it failing for many years.
“There will be some disruption over the coming months, but we will do all that we can to keep it to a minimum.
“We are extremely grateful to customers and stakeholders for the support they have given us so far and we look forward to working with them to deliver this vital project for Saltcoats and Stevenston.”
Scottish Water completed the first £4million first phase in October 2023 where 12-metre-long sections of temporary pipe were bolted together to carry flows from the pumping station while the underground sewer was relined.
The same technique will be used again, with a twin-pipe overland sewer running around the caravan park and access pits excavated at strategic locations to allow the underground pipe to be relined.
Andrew Hannah added: “Scottish Water is investing record amounts of customers’ money into replacing and upgrading its infrastructure to meet the challenges of increasing demand and climate change.”
The project is being delivered by Scottish Water’s alliance partner Caledonia Water Alliance.
Work is due to start in January 2026 and is expected to take nine months to complete.
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