This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Investment in water projects
18/04/2005
Scottish Water has invested over £500 million in
infrastructure improvements this year alone, Lewis
Macdonald said today.
Addressing delegates at The Future for Scottish Water
conference, the Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural
Development outlined over £1.8 billion in investments made
or planned between 2002 and 2006 in some of the largest
civil engineering projects in the UK.
These projects include a team of highly trained
tunnellers drilling 150 ft through tough dolerite rock to
link the Mugdock and Craigmaddie Reservoirs with a new £120
million treatment plant currently being built at Barrachan,
Milngavie.
Mr Macdonald said:
"Scotland's publicly owned water industry is delivering
the huge investment needed to improve standards for
customers, and to protect public health and the environment
whilst keeping charges to a minimum.
"Between 2002 and 2006 £1.8 billion is being invested in
improvements to Scotland's water infrastructure. This year
over £500 million was invested - some £100 million more
than the previous year. In 2005 - 2006 Scottish Water are
planning to increase the pace of investment to over £600
million.
"The planning and delivery of a range of large and small
investments are reaping tangible improvements for customers
all over Scotland.
"These include an investment of over £120 million in a
single project to improve the supply to over 700,000
customers in the Greater Glasgow area, and over £100
million in wastewater treatment is delivering cleaner
beaches, rivers and estuaries across the country. This is
in addition to Scottish Water's estimate that by March 2006
they will have allowed some 60,000 new houses to be
connected to the network over the previous four years.
"All of this has been achieved whilst Scottish Water has
met the efficiency targets set for it by the Water Industry
Commissioner - saving customers the equivalent of £1
million each week."
Scottish Water's £1.8 billion current investment
programme for 2002-2006 (Quality and Standards 2) is
delivering better quality drinking water, a cleaner
environment, and better customer service.
In response to the significant investment challenges set
by the Water Industry Commissioner (i.e. to deliver £2.3bn
of capital projects for £1.8 billion), Scottish Water
established an asset delivery partnership with the private
sector called Scottish Water Solutions Ltd to secure more
efficient and timely delivery of its capital
investment.
On February 9, 2005, Lewis Macdonald set out in
Parliament the objectives he wishes Scottish Water to
address between 2006 and 2014 (Quality and Standards 3).
These will require Scottish Water to continue its task of
delivering one of the largest water investment programmes
in the UK. His statement included commitments to
inflation-only price increases for customers between 2006
and 2010, action on the environment and on sewage smells,
and a better deal for businesses.
The priority objectives set for Scottish Water in the
next investment period will
- Deliver the maximum affordable investment in
support of housing and economic growth in communities
across Scotland
- Protect public health by improving drinking water
quality for 1.5 million customers
- Safeguard the environment by improving water
quality in over 500km of rivers, lochs and coastal
waters
- Tackle offensive odour at 35 wastewater treatment
works and remove over 1,100 properties from the risk of
internal flooding
- Ensure affordablility by introducing a new 25 per
cent discount on water charges for households of two or
more adults that are receiving Council Tax benefit