Scottish Water has awarded three supplier framework contracts for wastewater treatment plant and equipment to Hampshire-based, WPL.

The deals cover both hire and purchase agreements and the first hire plant will soon be installed at Winchburgh, a fast-growing £1 billion residential development 11 miles west of Edinburgh.

The 3,000-strong population of Winchburgh is expected to grow to 8,243 by 2023 and 14,000 by 2032 and a decision on the long-term plan for wastewater treatment for the community is imminent. Meanwhile, Scottish Water required a five-year intermediate wastewater treatment plant to reduce loading on the existing trickling filters and prevent overload at the site as more properties come on-stream.

The modular nature of WPL's submerged aeration filter (SAF) packaged treatment plants is particularly suited to this application as new SAF units can be added year-on-year in a rolling programme of expansion. As part of Scottish Water's five-year supplier framework agreement, WPL won an initial hire contract to supply a WPL T1000 SAF and WPL Lamella Separator.

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Andrew Haywood, utility and industrial sales manager at WPL, said: "Scottish Water selected WPL because it needed a company that could respond quickly to the fast-growing demand at Winchburgh. A key requirement of the project was rapid turnaround – and the first SAFs will be on site by the end of 2018.

"The flexibility of WPL's modular wastewater treatment systems was particularly suited to this project where process demand is growing and an intermediate solution was required. By working closely with the client, they identified WPL's hire solution as offering the best value."

WPL is working in close collaboration with Scottish Water's framework contractor WGM Engineering to deliver further units. The main contractor will carry out the detailed design and civil engineering required for the project along with installation of controls equipment.

Jason Cramb, technical and design director at WGM Engineering added: "Population growth at Winchburgh will happen incrementally over the next six years. This meant we needed plant and equipment that would work efficiently as the flows increased and that could be introduced in a phased manner.

"The modularity of WPL's SAF units allows Scottish Water to spread investment over five years as the site grows. WPL were involved very early in the planning phase and we look forward to working closely with all parties over the next five years."

It is expected that new T1000 SAF units will be required each year as the site expands. WPL's Scottish Water framework is for temporary plant with provision for extension.

The environmental requirement for the whole site, including existing, intermediate and new treatment plant, is a final effluent quality standard at the 95 percentile of 15mg/l biological oxygen demand (BOD) and 5mg/l ammonia.

Andrew Haywood concluded: "WPL has a strong track record of supplying hire equipment to wastewater utilities for planned repairs and refurbishments. Packaged treatment can also be used for reactive intervention when a site breaks down or flows and loads increase unexpectedly. Further, hire gives utilities the option to trial a process prior to purchase."

(MH/LM)