Draining the Rain in Stirling - £6m to Improve Urban Waters

Scottish Water is to start work on a £6.2m project to reduce spills and sewer related debris entering the River Forth in Stirling.

Under its Improving Urban Waters programme, the publicly owned utility will be replacing two storm overflows and upsizing the associated pipework and manhole chambers in Woodside Road and Laurencecroft Road in the Raploch area of the city.

Scottish Water Senior Project Manager Ethan Gillies Denning said: “These are overflows that have been identified as high priority for replacement to help improve water quality, reduce sewer-related debris and minimise spills during heavy rain.

“The work doesn’t require any major traffic management, but we will need to divert a core footpath in Woodside Road and a cycle path in Laurencecroft Road.

“Once completed, the project will reduce the frequency and volume of spills from the overflows during heavy rain into the River Forth."

The work in Raploch is part of Scottish Water's Improving Urban Waters programme, an additional £500million package of investment to improve the environment and make it more enjoyable for customers to explore their local area.

Working closely with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) Scottish Water has identified priority storm overflows for improvement or replacement for water quality or aesthetic – sewer related debris – reasons.

Under the banner ‘Draining the Rain, Enhancing the Environment’ the investment helps prevent sewage related debris such as wet wipes from entering the environment during periods of rainfall.

Work is due to begin on Monday 20 October 2025 will be completed by autumn 2026.

The project is being delivered by Scottish Water’s alliance partner Caledonia Water Alliance.