Scottish Water's 'super sewer' project in Perth nearing completion

“There’s been no mistaking the presence of Scottish Water in the heart of the city over the last two years as we’ve worked to futureproof Perth’s vital waste water network. ”

David Lavery
Senior Project Manager, Scottish Water

WORK to ‘super-size’ half a kilometre of sewer in the centre of Perth is drawing to a close.

Scottish Water has been on site on Tay Street and Shore Road for two years, investing £23.2 million in upsizing the sewer to a 2.2m diameter pipe to increase capacity in the waste water network. This has been done to accommodate projected growth in the city, better cope with extreme rainfall caused by climate change, and reduce the risk of sewer flooding.

The super-sizing of the sewer has seen parts of Tay Street and Shore Road closed to vehicles since May 2023, with traffic management in place to safeguard pedestrians, cyclists and site workers. 

The ‘over-pumping’ set-up – overground pipes which transported waste water flows while the new sewer was being connected – has been removed, and the focus will shortly turn to reinstating the road before it can re-open fully to traffic once more.

Publicly-owned Scottish Water is working in conjunction with Perth & Kinross Council to minimise disruption in the run-up to, and during, the road reinstatement. The local authority will take responsibility for the site next month, when Scottish Water vacates the site. It’s anticipated that the traffic management will be removed and the road fully open by the end of June.

Scottish Water’s Senior Project Manager, David Lavery, is managing the Tay Street and Shore Road project, alongside the other essential water and waste waster infrastructure upgrades in the city – with a combined total investment of over £100 million.

He said: “There’s been no mistaking the presence of Scottish Water in the heart of the city over the last two years as we’ve worked to futureproof Perth’s vital waste water network. 

“With work on this scale it’s inevitable that there’s been disruption, so I’d like to thank business owners, residents, customers, motorists and the wider public for their understanding while this major infrastructure upgrade has taken place.”

Councillor Eric Drysdale, Perth and Kinross Council’s Convener of Economy and Infrastructure, welcomed the completion of the works.

“This has been a very significant project for Scottish Water, addressing much needed improvement to the waste water network in Perth for the benefit of residents and businesses. This kind of work cannot be carried out without some level of interruption to normal day to day life, however the end result will I am sure be welcomed – protecting our communities and preparing the city for future development. 

“I look forward to seeing Tay Street and Shore Road fully reopened in the near future.”