A MAJOR investment at the Howden Water borehole site near Selkirk will provide clearer, fresher drinking water for around 17,000 consumers in the central Borders, it has been claimed, writes Andrew Keddie.
Scottish Water last week announced it will spend around £10million over the next two years constructing a new membrane plant at the site on the road to Ettrickbridge.
“This will improve water treatment at the facility will will benefit people in S
elkirk, Melrose, Earlston, Lauder and parts of Galashiels,” said SW’s regional manager Craig Lawson.
“We are also building a 12million litre clear water storage tank at Howden – enough to fill every swimming pool in the Borders”.
That construction work is part of a £25million Scottish Water investment across the Borders.
According to Mr Lawson, the water supply serving more than 42,000 people in Hawick, Jedburgh, Kelso and St Boswells will be “radically transformed”.
This will involve phasing out the reservoirs at Acreknowe and Dodburn near Hawick which will be made redundant by the autumn of 2009.
The quango will, instead, spend £14.7million refurbishing the water treatment works at Roberton.
Finally, SW says it will invest nearly £700,000 on environmental improvements at Rawburn water treatment works in Berwickshire.
“This total investment will provide a clearer, fresher drinking water supply, fit for the 21st century,” said Mr Lawson.
The news was welcomed by Scottish Borders Council leader David Parker.
“Scottish Water has an excellent track record of investment in the Borders and my council has worked in partnership with them on a number of projects,” said Mr Parker.
Mr Lawson told TheSouthern: “Already, our customers in the Borders are noticing and appreciating clearer, fresher drinking water, a cleaner environment, reduced risk of flooding and a faster, more efficient response to problems.”
The full article contains 303 words and appears in Southern Reporter newspaper.
