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Water News - Caithness - Highland - Scotland
New Water Mains Forging Ahead In Caithness
Contractors working on a new £2.45million drinking
water main from Stemster to Reiss in Caithness have laid more than a third
of the pipework already. Work started at the end of October last
year on the North of Scotland Water Authority (NoSWA) scheme to provide a
new 27 kilometres water main between Stemster Reservoir (5 kilometres
north west of Gillock), along the A882 as far as Haster, and north to
Reiss.
 Squads of workers have started in different
locations along the route and have already put in place about ten
kilometres of pipework, expecting to complete the project in late summer
this year. They have been helped by the relatively good winter weather.
Progress At Haster
 The pipes will replace old mains laid in 1956 with
Dingwall based R J McLeod Ltd working on the scheme. NoSWA's Project
Manager, Neil Thompson, said the scheme will improve water pressure for
customers in north-east Caithness, and will mean an alternative route of
supply to call on if a section of pipe has to be shut down for any reason,
such as a burst pipe. He added: "The work will also let us replace
local water distribution mains, that are in poor condition, along the
route of the new pipe. This will cause some disruption to supplies when
the transfer is made between old and new pipework later this year.
Obviously we will let customers know about this nearer the time.
 "We have also been speaking to local fishermen
because the new pipeline crosses the Wick River twice. We want to make
sure that we don't disturb spawning fish." Mr Thompson explained that NoSWA also had to take
into consideration archaeological sites along the route, avoiding two
brochs ? Iron Age circular stone towers.
Pipes At Watten
The work is part of NoSWA's £180million Water
Quality Improvements Programme. NoSWA is investing more than
£400million over a six-year period in schemes to provide safe, clean
drinking water throughout its area.
NoSWA
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