Whisky buff raises a glass to the benefits of our vision for Moray

Whisky buff Tom Morton has seen for himself the clear benefits of Scottish Water’s 2010 Vision for Moray – a massive programme of improvements providing clearer, fresher drinking water, a cleaner environment and more capacity to enable development.

£23million is expected to be invested in Moray by 2010. Since April 2007 almost £7million has been invested with a further £13million expected to be delivered by April 2009. Across the region drinking water and waste water treatment works are being upgraded, water mains and sewers are being replaced and extra capacity is being added to accommodate development. Scottish Water has also been working closely with Moray Council on the important issue of flooding.

Ian Burnett, Scottish Water’s manager for Moray, said: “There’s no doubt that we’re investing heavily in Moray at the moment. Our vision is that by 2010 customers throughout the region will have clearer, fresher drinking water and a cleaner environment.

We’re also working closely with the council on the important issue of flooding and we’re making sure our investment helps the area grow. And all this investment is happening while our charges remain among the lowest in the UK.”

Clearer, fresher drinking water for Whisky county

Moray is home to more than half of Scotland’s distilleries. Dram expert Tom Morton, broadcaster and author of the bestselling ‘Spirit of Adventure - A Journey Beyond the Whisky Trails’, is raising a toast to clearer, fresher drinking water for Scotland’s malt whisky country.

Following a recent visit to the £7.1million upgrade of Badentinan water treatment works near Rothes, Tom said:

"It was delightful to taste the water that goes to make some of my favourite Speyside malt whiskies and to find out that the gravel it comes from, deep below the River Spey, provides some of the most naturally pure water in the world.”

Tom added: “It was great to see too that Scottish Water continues to invest in a new filtration plant to ensure that the tap water on Speyside is the best you could hope to taste."

Scottish Water's Vision for Moray

Major projects recently started and due to be complete this year include:

• Herricks (near Keith) £1.5million drinking water upgrade
• Keith £1million waste water upgrade
• Rochomie (near Buckie) £951,000 drinking water upgrade
• Dufftown £711,000 waste water upgrade
• Fochabers £700,000 waste water upgrade
• Findhorn £600,000 water mains renewal

Major projects due to be completed in 2009 include:

• Badentinan (near Rothes) £7.1million drinking water upgradeGlenlatterach (near Elgin) £5.2million drinking water upgrade
• Kinloss £3million waste water upgrade to cater for growth and protect the important environment of Findhorn Bay