On stream in Skye
What we're doing
The latest wave of water upgrades on the Isle of Skye has just been completed, bringing clearer, fresher drinking water to 400 customers’ taps.
Four water treatment works in the south and east of the island have been upgraded at a cost of £3.5million. The improvements at Elgol, Drumfearn, Tarskavaig and Torrin represent an investment of almost £9,000 per person.
Drumfearn
Scottish Water’s £922,000 project to upgrade the Water Treatment Works at Drumfearn involved installing a new disinfection control system as well as pH correction measures. This ensures a more consistent quality that customers can rely on. A new water storage tank was also added along with half a kilometre of new pipes to replace corroded older ones.
Elgol
The Water Treatment Works at Elgol has had £653,000 spent on it to improve disinfection control.
Tarskavaig
The £1.1million upgrading of the water treatment works at Tarskavaig involved installing new disinfection control systems to improve the way that chlorine added to the water to make it safe for drinking. Customers should notice a better taste and odour from their drinking water. In addition, new pH correction devices have been fitted to ensure a consistent quality, and an extra water storage tank has been added. Two kilometres of new pipelines have also been laid to replace the old network which was suffering from corrosion.
Torrin
The upgrading work on the water treatment works at Torrin was more complicated due to it being located in an environmentally sensitive Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Extensive consultation had to be carried out with the local landowner, the John Muir Trust, and Scottish National Heritage to ensure the project was completed in a way that caused the least possible impact and disruption to the area. The £850,000 scheme involved better control and correction systems as well as a new storage tank to improve reliability. Some corroded pipes leading to and from the plant were also replaced.
The treatment works building was also improved to meet modern health and safety standards and a new access road was built to make it easier for Scottish Water employees to get to the site, which lies away from the main road. Mains electricity and telephone connections were also installed.
