Work starts on £3.4m project to prevent village sewers flooding
A £3.4 million investment project to help reduce the risk of sewer flooding in Tarbert began on Monday.
The work will help tackle the issue of sewer flooding by increasing the capacity of the local sewer network.
It will involve the upsizing of almost 350 metres of sewer pipe, with large diameter sewers being installed along Barmore Road, Harbour Street and on a section of School Road.
The upgrades will also help prevent items which are wrongly flushed down the toilet, such as wet wipes, from ending up in the sea during severe storms.
The project is being delivered by Scottish Water’s alliance partner amey Black and Veatch (aBV).
Paul Milligan, communications manager with aBV, said: ‘There are three issues in this area. We have the tidal surge, surface run-off from the steep hill and the hydraulic capacity of the sewer network is currently not fit for purpose.
This means when the area experiences storms and there’s a tidal surge, waste water starts to back-up and causes flooding in homes and businesses. By increasing the sewer capacity we can help reduce this flood risk.’
Ruaridh MacGregor, Scottish Water’s corporate affairs manager for the west area, said: ‘We know sewer flooding can cause distress for people so it’s fantastic this work to tackle the issue is getting under way. The work will benefit residents and businesses in Barmore Road and Harbour Street.’
He continued: ‘There will be some traffic disruption while the work is being delivered but we have done and will continue to do all we can to help minimise this. Tarbert is a vibrant, bustling town and we will work together with the community to ensure it stays that way while our improvements are carried out.’
Councillor Anne Horn said: ‘I am pleased work to improve the sewage system in Tarbert is about to start. This will bring reassurance to the businesses and families that have in the past been affected by sewage flooding. I look forward to this project progressing and the benefit it will bring to the village.’
Residents and road users are thanked in advance for their patience and understanding during the work.
Scottish Water has released a film about the project, featuring interviews with businesses, which can be viewed using the following link: youtu.be/ SVcKT_ZReYI