£4m project at Dunnet to maintain bathing water quality
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WORK has started on a £4 million Scottish Water project which will help maintain the bathing water quality at Dunnet beach.
It will see a new 730-metre sea outfall pipeline being constructed at Dunnet Head, adjacent to the existing waste water treatment works (WWTW). The outfall will be installed by drilling from the top of the cliff, through the rock and up onto the Pentland Firth seabed.
According to Scottish Water, the significantly longer outfall will remove the need for chemical disinfection which is required during the bathing season to ensure that the water quality at Dunnet is maintained. The existing WWTW at the foreshore will also be modified as part of the upgrade.
The work, which is being undertaken by Scottish Water alliance partner amey-Black & Veatch (aBV), is expected to be complete by spring of next year.
Scottish Water corporate affairs manager Gavin Steel said: “This investment will remove the need for chemical treatment of the effluent from Dunnet waste water treatment works before it is returned to the sea.
"By taking the effluent into deeper and faster-flowing waters, the WWTW will be able to continue serving the local community, with reduced potential impact on the bathing water at Dunnet beach and the wider marine environment.
“The project will also remove a hazard which our local team currently has to manage within the site.”
Chris Wright, project manager for aBV, said: “While we anticipate this project having very little impact on customers due to the location and timing of the work, there will be some localised construction traffic and noise. We will do all we can to keep any disruption to a minimum.”
