Scottish Water has set out the need for a major multi-million pound upgrade of Glenfarg’s Water Treatment Works (WTW) in a new factsheet.

The publicly owned water company has applied for planning consent for a multi-million pound upgrade to the WTW, which supplies drinking water to around 179,000 customers across Kinross-shire and Fife.

The existing Water Treatment Works was built in 1984.

The proposed project includes improvements to the drinking water production process and the provision of increased storage capacity in new ‘Clear Water Tanks’ - to provide improved security of supply if normal production of drinking water is interrupted.

The factsheet explains why the upgrade is essential to ensure the Water Treatment Works can provide a consistently high quality and reliable water supply to all of the communities it serves. It includes a simplified overview of the water network, showing that Glenfarg needs to be able to maintain supply to a complex network of 39 water storage tanks, including supporting resilience at regional level during dry summer conditions.

Graphic showing the water network supplied by Glenfarg WTW

The document has been produced in response to feedback and questions received from the local community in recent months. Scottish Water is committed to continuing to listen and engage – and has worked with Glenfarg Community Council to form a liaison group to oversee its work. Further engagement with the wider community is planned for the new year, subject to the outcome of the planning process.

The proposed project includes improvements to the drinking water production process and the provision of increased storage capacity in new ‘Clear Water Tanks’ - to provide improved security of supply if normal production of drinking water is interrupted.

The proposed investment includes several elements which work together to improve the way drinking water is produced; and to provide greater security of supply for all of the communities that the site serves. Some of the proposed work would take place within and around the existing WTW buildings, including:

• Upgrade and replacement of key equipment and filters;
• A new backwash tank, to keep the filters within the WTW working effectively;
• A new filtered water pumping station.

The redevelopment of the historic filter beds near to the dam would include:

• A new Chlorine Contact Tank to improve the final crucial stage in the production of drinking water;
• 4 new Clear Water Tanks to store drinking water before it leaves the site. The stored water could continue to supply all the communities that the site serves if the production of drinking water was interrupted. The tanks also mean that stable production of drinking water can continue over the course of daily variation in demand from customers.A smaller piece of work is also due to be delivered soon to improve the air curtain within the reservoir, which helps to maintain the quality of the ‘raw’ water entering the WTW during summer conditions

Scottish Water Senior Project Manager, Martin McIlvaney, said:

“Following our application for planning consent in July, our team is committed to continuing to put community engagement at the forefront of our work.

“By creating a new factsheet with visual representation of the Glenfarg water network, we are seeking to answer a key question from the community, particularly about why additional drinking water storage capacity is needed at Glenfarg rather than elsewhere.

“The investment we are proposing is essential to ensure we can continue to provide a high quality and resilient water supply, both locally and at a regional level. We recognise that there are challenges associated with the delivery of a significant project in a rural location, close to a small community. We have sought to respond to the feedback we’ve received and address concerns, both directly and via our engagement with the planning process. We look forward to continuing to work with the community and other stakeholders in the new year.”

Subject to planning consent, the work is expected to last for approximately 3 years.