Following its recent inauguration, Scotland’s largest flood prevention scheme will now protect hundreds of homes and business on the south side of the city.

The new £53 million White Cart Water Flood Prevention Scheme is set to reduce the risk of flood damages of over £100 million by protecting approximately 1750 homes and businesses along the river.

As part of the design of the ambitious engineering project major enhancements were made for Glasgow’s biodiversity and wildlife habitats with the creation of new woodland, scrub, species-rich wet grasslands, shallow scrapes and ponds and other artificial habitats.

Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said:

“For over a century the White Cart Water has caused serious flood damage to homes and commercial properties on the south side of Glasgow, many of these caused by relatively minor storms.

“People living on or near this river don’t have to worry that heavy rains will cause havoc and flooding to their homes and businesses, they will be protected.  I can confirm that we will now be able to give the 1710 homes and 45 businesses that have been under constant threat of flooding a letter of comfort to their insurance companies to allow them to either get or reduce their properties insurance premiums."

Councillor Matheson said that at its heart the White Cart Flood Prevention Scheme was a regeneration project– both in terms of the environmental improvements and the significant enhancements made to allow future economic development to take place.

Douglas Luke, Senior Project Director at Halcrow Group Ltd who are the Glasgow based civil and environmental consultants responsible for the design and construction supervision of the flood prevention scheme said:

"Since 2002 we have expended some 50 person years of design time in developing and refining the scheme concept and final design of this holistic catchment scale solution including the protection and enhancement of the natural environment. Key to the success of this development has been the extensive consultation carried out with the many affected stakeholders and the public."

The five giant cone-shaped Hydro-Brake® Flow Controls have been installed in the dams to hold back the floods at peak times are the largest ever built – Hydro needed to develop new manufacturing techniques to make them.The scheme has already attracted worldwide recognition and interest in engineering circles.

Normally a shallow river, White Cart Water is prone to flash flooding. As little as twelve hours of rain can cause water levels to rise by six metres with the potential to turn the river into a raging torrent as it gathers momentum downstream towards the vulnerable suburbs of the city.

Since 1908 there have been more than 20 significant floods caused by relatively minor storms. The scheme, while still under construction, had its first major flooding test.  On 4 February 2011, a one in 10 year flood event occurred, and the flood storage areas which were up and running, held back water and prevented damaged of between between £1 million and £3 million on properties.

The scheme is supported by the Metropolitan Glasgow Strategic Drainage Partnership - a unique partnership formed by organisations involved with the operation of the sewerage and drainage network in the area including Glasgow City Council, Scottish Water, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the Scottish Governments and British Waterways.