Scottish Water has completed a £2.8m investment project to improve its waste water infrastructure and help tackle sewer flooding in Greenock town centre.

Forty-seven metres of pipework and two large CSO (Combined Sewer Overflow) chambers have been installed to upgrade the existing sewer network, improve the water flow, and reduce the risk of sewer flooding in the Oak Mall Shopping Centre and surrounding areas.

The work was carried out by Scottish Water's alliance partner amey Black & Veatch (aBV) and Northern Tunnelling were called in to hand-dig tunnels totalling 26 metres in length.

Approximately 115 tonnes of debris comprising mainly of reinforced concrete, brickwork foundations, sandstone and whinstone rock was excavated by hand using tools like picks and shovels.

Scott Henry, project manager, praised the workers for the delivery of this project and said: "The team worked really well together and even when things didn't quite go to plan, like having to change our method of tunnelling from machine to hand at one point due to difficult ground conditions, everyone approached the work with professionalism and positivity.

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"We began the year on site in Greenock and it's now great to be finishing it with such an important project having been delivered for the local community."

Ruaridh MacGregor, Scottish Water Corporate Affairs Regional Manager, also said: "We're delighted that this project to reduce the risk of sewer flooding in and around one of Inverclyde's key shopping destinations is now complete. Although there has been some short-term disruption which we know has been frustrating for road users and local businesses, this project has reduced the future likelihood of sewer flooding and will help minimise the risk of future disruption for shoppers and retailers.

"The support and coordination across Scotland Transerv and Inverclyde Council greatly helped the delivery of this project, from managing the impacts on car parking facilities at the Bullring car park to traffic management on the main roads."

Paul Milligan, communications manager with aBV, added: "The businesses in the areas where the work took place have been very patient with us and we really are grateful to them for their understanding throughout. 

"With a project like this some disruption is completely unavoidable. However, we did all we could to keep the local community up-to-date and, where possible, we worked with them to minimise any disruption."

(MH/CM)