Scotland’s newest green wastewater treatment works has won a prestigious sustainability award from The Royal Academy of Engineering.
Owned and operated by Scottish Water, the £35m wastewater treatment works – officially opened in October 2024 – is designed to support an expected fourfold increase in Winchburgh’s population in the coming years.
Scottish Water, its delivery partner ESD, (a joint venture between Binnies, MWH Treatment and Galliford Try) Haskoning and its UK licence partner EPS have been recognised with the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Major Project Award for Sustainability.
The individual medal winners are Colin Maybury and Jonny Tyler of Scottish Water, Stephen Fraser (ESD), Andrew Dyne (Haskoning) and Alan Ford (EPS).
The new site’s Nereda® treatment technology, developed by Haskoning and provided via UK licence partner EPS, reduces energy usage by up to 50% compared with alternatives, while providing an excellent standard of treatment to protect the local environment.
The aerobic granular biomass at the heart of the technology enables multiple stages of the wastewater treatment process to take place within one of three individual tanks, operating in sequence. This means more wastewater can be treated faster and with less chemicals, in a smaller site area, with a much-reduced carbon footprint.
Winchburgh is the second site in Scotland to use the low-carbon technology, following a pioneering project in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, with the same supply chain partners.
Early collaboration in the design of the West Lothian site and learning from Inverurie enabled further significant carbon savings from using low carbon stainless steel rather than concrete for the main tanks, reduced excavation and greater use of off-site fabrication.
Solar generation has also been fitted to the roof of the site’s control building to meet a significant part of the site’s remaining energy needs; and EV chargers have been installed to support the electrification of Scottish Water’s vehicle fleet.
Joanne Kay, GM Wastewater Operations, Scottish Water said: “Delivery of Winchburgh WWTW reflected a significant step forward for sustainability, driving down carbon emissions in construction without compromising on quality. Scottish Water will continue to work with partners to deliver the further improvements needed to go beyond net zero emissions by 2040.
“The Wastewater Customer Service Delivery team is immensely proud to operate this new state-of-the-art treatment facility at Winchburgh. It stands as a testament to our dedication to excellence in service delivery, environmental stewardship, and community support. The facility not only marks a major advancement in wastewater treatment but also plays a vital role in safeguarding the local environment and meeting the needs of a growing community.”
