Irvine is latest phase of Ayrshire drinking water project

Scottish Water is carrying out the first phase of a major project which will provide clearer, fresher drinking water to 22,000 customers we serve in Irvine.

The £4.5m project, which is expected to take about a year to complete, will involve the upgrading and improvement of about 95 miles of water mains throughout the town.

It will also reduce the risk of pipes bursting and causing disruption to supply.

The project is part of a multi-million pound scheme of improvements which will provide clearer, fresher drinking water to more than 300,000 customers across Ayrshire. The scheme will improve about 700 miles of water pipes throughout Ayrshire - enough to stretch from Ayrshire to London and back.

The project in Irvine is due to start in the week beginning April 4 and will be carried out for Scottish Water by contractors Barhale Construction.

Mr Jim Hassan, Scottish Water's operations manager, said:

"Scottish Water is delighted to be starting this important project in the Irvine area which is key part of our multi-million pound investment to maintain a supply of first class water to hundreds of thousands of our customers across Ayrshire.

"We have carried out significant investment at the Bradan Water Treatment Works, which serves 185,000 customers in most of South Ayrshire and in parts of East and North Ayrshire, including Irvine. This new investment in Irvine is on part of the network of pipes that are supplied with water from Bradan WTW.

"These pipes are ageing and our improvement work will help ensure a supply of clear, fresh drinking water for years to come."

Mr Michael North, the project manager, said:

"Most of the work in Irvine will involve a plastic lining being put inside the existing mains but we will also replace some sections of mains and we will be flushing stretches of pipes.

"The investment will not only help provide improved water quality but will reduce the risk of bursts and provide greater security of supply because we will be improving the pipes and making them more robust."

The first phase of the Irvine work, which will involve investment of about £2.2m on 21 miles of pipes, will be in south and central Irvine in streets such as Bank Street, Kirkgate, Hill Street, Kirk Vennel, Broomlands Drive, Warrix Avenue, Golffields Road, Greenfield Drive, Whyte Avenue, Milgarholm Avenue and Loach Avenue.

Work in this area is expected to take about six months to complete. Work in later phases of the project will be carried out in other parts of Irvine and all phases of the project are expected to be completed in about a year.

There will be no major disruption to the water supply during the work but there will be some short, planned interruptions to allow the work to progress but affected customers will be informed of this in advance. During this work affected customers might experience low water pressure or discoloured water. Once their water is restored they should turn on the cold water tap in their kitchen until the water runs clear.

There will be some traffic management required during the work but we will make every effort to minimise any inconvenience.

Mrs Charlene McBride, Scottish Water’s regional community manager, said:

“Scottish Water would like to thank our customers in Irvine in advance for their patience and understanding while this important improvement work is carried out.

“We are sure that they will appreciate that any temporary inconvenience will be far out-weighed by the long-term benefits this investment will bring to the area.”

Scottish Water has invested more than £162m in Ayrshire since 2006 while the average household water bill remains below £1 per day. A total of £2.5bn is due to be invested across Scotland during the next five years.

Read what the Evening Times reported about this project.