Scottish Water completes £34.5m wastewater upgrade works

The works at its Dumfries and Castle Douglas sites aim to protect the natural environment in the River Nith and River Dee, as well as provide extra capacity for new properties and businesses to connect to the wastewater network.

An investment has also been made to carry out improvement work at its Dalbeattie site, which Scottish Water anticipates will tackle odour and pollution, with the goal of improving water quality for fish.

As part of the project’s planning stage, MSP for Dumfriesshire Elaine Murray and Nith District Salmon Fishery Board director Jim Henderson attended a briefing session with Scottish Water wastewater asset planner Simon Hunter.

Mr Henderson said that Nith District Salmon Fishery Board welcomed the wastewater improvements and said that “water quality is fundamental to sustaining healthy stocks of fish in all our rivers.”

Meanwhile, commenting on the investment, MSP for Dumfriesshire Ms Murray, said: “Scottish Water have made a significant investment in the sewage works serving my constituents in Dumfries to tackle odour, pollution and planning constraint concerns. I am delighted that the investment is complete and can look forward to the benefits to local residents and the local economy.”

Mr Hunter said Scottish Water recognises the important role it plays in supporting the local economy by preserving key fishing destinations.

He said: “This makes the provision of reliable and thorough waste water treatment on these rivers a crucial priority for our local waste water team at Scottish Water.

“We also have an important part to play in enabling communities in Dumfries and Galloway to grow and thrive, so the increased capacity at these facilities is key to driving the local economy by attracting developers and businesses to the area.”

Carys Matthews