Scottish Water has announced the successful removal of a nine-tonne screw pump from underneath the ground in Edinburgh as upgrades continue to the McDonald Road Waste Water Pumping Station.

The removal forms part of the multimillion-pound project to improve the pumping station, which uses enormous Archimedean screw pumps to move millions of litres of waste water across the capital.

This phase of the major refurbishment focused on removing the 'foul' screw, which is in operation every day to move waste water, collecting drainage and lifting it to a larger sewer which then then runs by gravity to Seafield Waste Water Treatment Works for treatment.

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William Moore, Scottish Water's project manager for the operation, said: "Removing the foul screw from underneath the ground is a significant step in the refurbishment of McDonald Road Waste Water Pumping Station, reflecting the expertise and dedication of the team.

"A lot of work goes in to planning the removal of underground assets. Thanks to their dedication and hard work, our team was able to complete this challenging operation successfully, setting us up for the next stage of the refurbishment of this important project."

The removal of the foul screw, which is 8 metres long and between 1.5-2 meters in diameter, was carried out by a crane with the teams on site taking extreme care in the difficult conditions.

Following its removal, the foul screw will be replaced in the coming weeks.

The work is estimated to be completed in early 2025. The project is being delivered alongside delivery partner, Morrison Water Services.

The larger 'storm screw', which operates under storm conditions and is located adjacent to the foul screw, was previously removed in December 2023 and replaced with a new one in April 2024.