Shetland's most Northerly Communities Receive new Water Works Boost

Work has been completed on a £2.8 million replacement water treatment works to serve Scotland's most northerly inhabited island.

Around 1,000 Scottish Water (UK) customers in Shetland are now receiving drinking water from a new facility on Unst which, due to its remote location, has around double the normal drinking water storage capacity of a typical treatment works.

The additional water on Unst can be stored thanks to the installation of a new large glass-coated steel clear water tank. It also features a permanent standby power generator to make the works increasingly resilient.

The works, which takes water from two local lochs, also features a laboratory and modern treatment equipment, such as nanofiltration and disinfection equipment, to ensure water is treated to the highest possible standard before being piped to customers' homes and businesses.

Scottish Water's Regional Community Manager Steve Scott: "This £2.8 million investment by Scottish Water in a new treatment works to serve Scotland's most northerly community is a clear demonstration of our commitment to provide customers with the very best drinking water quality and service. The replacement Unst water works has extra storage capacity compared to the old works and modern treatment equipment."

To minimise time on site and ease the construction process the process plant was pre assembled and tested at the workshop of contractor Ross-shire Engineering in Muir of Ord, before being stripped down and shipped to Unst for re-assembly.

The building design had to account for extremely high wind loadings as Unst has some of the highest recorded wind speeds recorded in the UK.

Shetland firm Tulloch Developments Ltd were also involved in the project as civil engineering sub contractor. Work on the project began in April 2012 and was completed in December 2012.

Project Manager Malcolm Miller added: "When embarking on this project we were conscious that we needed a building that could withstand the strong winds frequently recorded on Unst and provide increased storage capacity for the benefit of Scottish Water customers. We are absolutely delighted with the finished project which will be a major benefit for people living and working on Unst for many years to come."