Backing Borders Birds, Blooms and Beasties
Scottish Water is holding back a million pounds project to upgrade Borders reservoirs while contractors wait on a group of swallow chicks flying the nest.
During initial site surveys on the Talla Reservoir upgrade we found a swallow nest located in one of the tower shafts.
Contractor Black & Veatch will delay the programme of work for up to 12 weeks, while the nesting swallows rear their young and they migrate to the African sun.
One organisation which is clearly delighted with Scottish Water’s approach is the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. The RSPB’s James Reynolds praised the contractor Black & Veatch and Scottish Water for their efforts:
"Swallows are a classic signifier of summer in the British Isles, they use our buildings as the perfect place safe from predators to build their nests, so it is great to see them being appreciated in this way."
This is just one of a number of such projects across the Borders in which Scottish Water has paid particular attention to the local wildlife, protecting natural ecosystems.
What we’re doing
We are also doing everything possible to protect the sizeable otter population near the Howden Water Treatment Works, locating artificial holt is located near the works.
This impressed Grace Yoxon from the International Otter Survival Fund.
“The International Otter Survival Fund is delighted to see the positive attitude of Scottish Water in working to conserve otters and their habitat.”
Land and sea
A variety of rare plant life, fish and mammals are being protected as part of the £15 million project to improve the quality of drinking water to around 42,000 people in the Hawick, Jedburgh, Kelso and St Boswells area.
Three plants will be combined into one with sites at Acreknowe and Dodburn made redundant by autumn 2009, with the fully refurbished Roberton Water Treatment Works providing clearer, fresher drinking water across the region.
Scottish Natural Heritage
The sensitive environment of the Allan Water Hillhead site of special scientific interest (SSSI) will also be taken into consideration when a new water pipeline is laid in the area. The site is of national importance because it contains species only found in the Brecklands of Norfolk and the Silurian grasslands of Wales.
Scottish Water consulted Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) at an early stage. The organisation's operational manager for the Borders, Andrew Panter, welcomes our acknowledgement of the need to conserve the beautiful Borders environment:
"The River Tweed is internationally recognised as a clean river system with important fish populations. It also plays a key part in tourism and the economy of the area. Allan Water Hillhead is an unusual area of grassland with plants and butterflies rare in the Borders. It is up to all of us to make sure that these important areas are looked after. “
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