Water flowing from taps in homes in the west of Scotland should be among the cleanest and safest in the world following the opening of a new state-of-the-art treatment works.
Water flowing from taps in homes in the west of Scotland should be among the cleanest and safest in the world following the opening of a new state-of-the-art treatment works.
Scottish Water yesterday made the claim as it unveiled its new plant at Milngavie, where 240 million litres of water - enough to fill more than 2.5 million baths - gushes in from Loch Katrine every day via reservoirs at Mugdock and Craigmaddie.
It is then purified and directed out to homes in the greater Glasgow area, serving 700,000 people.
Hidden behind trees and cut out of a hillside in East Dunbartonshire, it is hoped the £120m facility will rule out a repeat of the cryptosporidium outbreak that hit the water supply in 2002.
Water is tested by quality control staff at every stage of the process before being sent to storage tanks that monitor the output to ensure demand is met throughout the peak periods of the day.
Stewart Stevenson, Transport and Infrastructure Minister, toured the works yesterday and said similar contamination scares would not occur again.
He said: "When people turn on their tap they take for granted what comes out of it. I have seen for myself the investment that goes into that.
"In 2002 we experienced cryptosporidium and people had to boil their water. This plant is the investment that will ensure that unwelcome effect is something of the past. I am confident the episode of 2002 will not be repeated."
The water is filtered to remove impurities in a more efficient and sophisticated process than previously, where a simple straining procedure was carried out. Because raw water from Loch Katrine is already clean it still produced safe drinking water, but the new plant is expected to take the standard even higher and minimise contamination risks.
David Atkin, project manager, explained how the system works.
He said: "The raw water comes in and we add lime for pH control, then a chemical alum to bind particles of dirt together. A flocculation process (smaller particles sticking together) allows the chemicals to bind to create bigger particles that are easier to filter.
"The water is then percolated through sand and anthrosites and we are left with clean water. It takes out fine particles, like those that make up cryptosporidium. The water is then disinfected with hypochlorite as it is routed to storage tanks and is then ready to be sent out to the pipes supplying homes."
When Scottish Water proposed the new plant, locals complained it would be a blot on the landscape and mounted a campaign to have it altered or scrapped.
Changes to the planning process and much of the system, including two 80 million-litre storage tanks buried underground and a landscaping project, all helped allay fears allowing work to proceed.
Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, said the area now had the best of both worlds. He said: "There was a campaign to ensure the plant fitted into the local surroundings. We succeeded in getting it one-third smaller and using more modern technology and the visual intrusion has been minimised.
"People of Milngavie will be pleased we are getting a plant of the highest quality that doesn't blight the landscape."
The 150-year-old works nearby is being closed down as the supply is transferred to the new plant.
The water will serve Glasgow, parts of East and West Dunbartonshire, South Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire.
Ronnie Mercer, Scottish Water chairman, said: "Across Scotland, water quality standards are the highest ever.
"Glasgow has always been blessed with a good natural supply of untreated water from Loch Katrine, acclaimed as being among the best in the world. The Victorians were the first to harness this natural supply through the original Katrine supply system. What we have done with our investment in the new Milngavie works is to make the water supply clearer and fresher."
