A significant construction milestone has been reached on the £3 million project at Murrayfield, Edinburgh, which is designed to prevent wet wipes and other sewer-related debris from polluting the Water of Leith.

The essential infrastructure upgrade, being delivered by Scottish Water's alliance partner Caledonia Water Alliance (CWA), has been ongoing since June 2025.

The core of the project involves upgrading a key storm overflow by constructing a new spill chamber and installing screens. Earlier this month, a major step in the construction process was achieved when a giant 20-tonne concrete 'lid' was carefully lowered into place over the newly built chamber.

The works, which required a reduction of Corstorphine Road to one lane since June, are now aiming for completion by early December 2025.

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Ethan Gillies Denning, Scottish Water Senior Project Manager, confirmed that work had progressed well despite facing challenging ground conditions.

“Work has progressed well, despite challenging ground conditions and we are aiming to finish by early December. These projects can be difficult to deliver but once completed, the benefits will ensure the environment is protected for many years to come,” he said.

The project is part of Scottish Water's wider Improving Urban Waters programme, an additional £500m package of investment dedicated to enhancing the environment. This substantial construction investment, championed under the banner 'Draining the Rain, Enhancing the Environment,' focuses on preventing sewage-related debris from entering the environment during periods of high rainfall.

Scottish Water has identified 108 high-priority storm overflows across Scotland for similar improvement or replacement projects, based on collaboration with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

The construction team worked closely with Murrayfield Stadium and Edinburgh City Council to manage traffic flow for major events while the essential works were carried out. Similar arrangements have been made to ensure supporters have no issues attending the autumn rugby internationals, which kick off this weekend.