Scottish Water Leave Lasting Legacy at Ardeer Primary School

“We’re really grateful to Scottish Water and George Leslie for working so closely with our school and providing our new running track.

"This is a fantastic addition to our outdoor space and will support our sports development and wellbeing goals for years to come. Thank you to Scottish Water and George Leslie for this generous gift.”

Anne Surgenor
Headteacher

Pupils at Ardeer Primary School in Stevenston are enjoying a new running track installed at their school, thanks to Scottish Water and contractor George Leslie, following major repair work earlier this year.

In February, a sinkhole caused by a burst on a 700mm rising sewer main was discovered in the school’s playing field. A 25-metre section of the pipe was replaced, and a further 70-metres was relined to ensure the long-term resilience of the infrastructure.

The repair was made challenging due to ground conditions in a coastal location, but customers’ waste water services were restored just over three weeks after the burst occurred.

As part of the reinstatement, Scottish Water and George Leslie gifted the school a tarred and lined running track, enhancing outdoor facilities for the pupils to enjoy for years to come.

Megan Constantine, Scottish Water’s Senior Project Manager, said, "We were pleased to work with Ardeer Primary School after they experienced multiple bursts in their playing field, and we wanted to give something back.

“The new running track is a lasting legacy and a great example of what can be achieved through collaboration.

“The pupils were delighted and seeing the smiles on their faces reminded us of the positive impacts projects like this can have in the community.”

Ardeer Primary School’s Headteacher, Anne Surgenor, added, "We’re really grateful to Scottish Water and George Leslie for working so closely with our school and providing our new running track.

“This is a fantastic addition to our outdoor space and will support our sports development and wellbeing goals for years to come. Thank you to Scottish Water and George Leslie for this generous gift."

To celebrate British Science Week during the repair period, Scottish Water also invited a group of Primary 6 and 7 pupils from the school to the site to learn more about engineering and see first-hand how large-scale infrastructure repairs are carried out.

Tony Fry, Construction Director at George Leslie said, “This new track represents a strong example of the collaborative ethos at George Leslie, born from a togetherness involving ourselves, Scottish Water, and Enviroclean.

“While its core aim was to remediate the school's playing field, it also demonstrates the positive changes we bring to the communities we work in.”

A section of the school’s playing field remains fenced off while the ground gets re-seeded, but it is expected to be ready for pupils to enjoy after the summer holidays.