The multi-million pound investment will see the quality of drinking water improved for more than 200,000 people and businesses across Ayrshire and parts of East Renfrewshire, connecting 30 miles of new water mains with the Greater Glasgow area's network.
Work on the first phase of the scheme is being carried out by aBV and will be completed this summer. Features involved the construction of a 13 mile-long strategic water main, from near Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire to the Fenwick/Waterside area in East Ayrshire, and a pumping station at Darnley.
The second phase will involve building another stretch of strategic water main about 13 miles long from the Amlaird Water Treatment Works in the Fenwick/Waterside area to Highlees Pumping Station near Dundonald in South Ayrshire.
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The work, which will include the construction of a pumping station near the Grassyards interchange at Ralstonhill east of Kilmarnock, is expected to be finished in around 20 months. The scheme will be delivered by Caledonia Water Alliance (CWA).
Once finished, the investment will enable Scottish Water to transfer water from Glasgow to Ayrshire, and vice-versa. Overall, it will create a larger, more robust and connected supply zone to benefit customers in areas such as Ayr, Prestwick, Kilmarnock, Troon, Irvine, Fenwick, Galston, Stewarton, Hurlford, Maybole, Eaglesham and Newton Mearns.
Stewart Davis, Scottish Water's programme manager, said: "This is a massive investment in improvements to the water main infrastructure by connecting the system in Ayrshire with Glasgow's network and we are having to do it in several key phases.
"We are delighted to be in the final stages of the first phase, which involved some challenging work in difficult conditions, and we have now moved on to preparatory work for the start of the second phase with the first stretches of pipes due to be installed very soon.
"People may already have seen activity south of Amlaird at the north end of the second phase and this will increase as we move into full construction mode."
(LM)
