This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Record investment in Highland water supplies
07/03/2005
Water infrastructure projects in the Highlands and
Islands today benefitted from £100 million of
investment.
More than 90 projects from Lerwick to Aviemore will see
water treatment works refurbished or built afresh to
provide improved quality drinking water delivering health
and environmental improvements.
Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development
Lewis Macdonald visited Glen Convinth, site of the new £9.5
million water treatment works serving 6,800 customers in
Drumnadrochit, Beauly, West Inverness, Cannich, Tomich and
Glenurquhart.
The project, due to be completed by December 2005, will
draw water from Loch Bruicheach and produce 3.5 million
litres of top quality drinking water daily.
The Minister said:
"More than £100 million has already been invested in 150
major projects across the Highlands and Islands. This
additional money will raise the total number of projects
delivered to 240 with investment of more than £200
million.
"The Executive's commitment to investing in a modern,
efficient and publicly owned water industry continues well
beyond this investment programme which ends in 2006.
"Our objectives for Scottish Water's investment
programme from 2006 to 2014 will build on the significant
progress already made in addressing decades of
under-investment in our water industry.
"This investment underlines our commitment to
sustainable development ;protecting the environment,
safeguarding public health and supporting housing and
economic growth with investment in new infrastructure
capacity and improvements to service levels."
The new treatment works at Glenconvinth forms part of
the current Quality and Standards 2 investment programme
for 2002-2006 which will provide £1.8 million of capital
investment to tackle long standing public health and
environmental priorities. The programme is bringing about
tangible improvements in the quality of life for the people
of Scotland by delivering better quality drinking water,
improving the quality of water in our rivers and around our
coastlines, and by providing some additional capacity,
allowing our communities to grow and prosper.
Lewis Macdonald made a statement to the Scottish
Parliament on February 9, setting out the objectives for
Scottish Water's Quality and Standards III investment
programme for the period 2006 to 2014 and the principles of
charging that are to apply in the period 2006 to 2010.
The Minister's statement enables the Water Industry
Commissioner and Scottish Water to take forward work on the
next stage of the review by setting out the objectives that
Scottish Water is to be funded to deliver from charges in
2006-10.