Scottish Water trials high-tech wastewater solution in Inverness
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Scottish Water is using new technology to help it identify problems in its waste water network, reducing the impact on customers and the environment.
The utility firm is investing up to £100 million over the next five years to monitor sewage pipes rather than rely on customers informing them of problems.
It says early use of the new technology, which is being trialled in Inverness as well as Lossiemouth, Erskine and East Calder, indicates that it will be able to better predict and prevent wastewater issues before they impact customers and the environment.
Scottish Water has placed sensors that detect blockages and has used this data to avoid potential environmental pollution incidents and flooding of customers’ premises.
This technology is being installed at 17 wastewater ‘exemplar’ treatment works. At the first one, in Paisley, Scottish Water now has real-time data which, together with real-time control and intervention, is helping to reduce energy consumption across the site.
By monitoring vibration and temperature, Scottish Water maintenance teams can intervene if the signals go outside ‘normal’ operating levels, avoiding the cost of failure and pollution.
Joyce Gray, wastewater business manager, said: “It will allow us to make better operational decisions, be more efficient and to drive significant benefits, particularly in relation to energy consumption and responsive asset failures.”
The utility clears about 36,000 blockages from its network every year. About 80 per cent of these are caused by people flushing the wrong items, such as wet wipes, down toilets or pouring fats, oil and grease down sinks. These can cause sewers to block and wastewater to overflow into the environment or flood.
In February, Scottish Water also launched its nationwide Nature Calls campaign. The campaign urges people to bin all wipes, and calls for a ban on wipes containing plastic, to help protect the environment.
