Ayrshire MSP Sharon Dowey has visited the Girvan Waste Water Treatment Works site, operated by Scottish Water.
The local MSP met with site operators and officials from Scottish Water, to learn about the work that takes place at Girvan. Operating for almost 20 years, waste water from Girvan and the surrounding area is pumped forward to the Treatment Works from the large pumping station which rests on the foot of the River Girvan.
The works have four Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBR) within the site which aerate, settle and decant, in sequence, cleaning the incoming waste water so that it can be safely returned to the Firth of Clyde. The stie also has a sludge treatment centre, where on-site and imported sludges are de-watered, with the de-watered liquor treated at Girvan. Thickened sludge is then treated by a lime pasteurisation process which removes 99% of harmful pathogens, allowing for disposal to farmland for beneficial recycling.
Sharon was given a tour of the site by operators Jim and Jamie, and met with, Waste Water Operations Manager Nathan Wield, Operations Team Leader Mechelle Barbour, Operations Team Manager Danny McKenna and Amy Cornett and Gavin Steel from Scottish Water Public Affairs.
Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP Sharon Dowey said: “I was pleased to visit the Waste Water Treatment Works at Girvan and find out about the work they do. The team at Girvan play an important role in ensuring that wastewater is properly treated and in keeping the process safe and efficient. “I commended Jim and his colleagues at Girvan for the work they do, and I would like to thank them for showing me around this site, allowing me to find out about the significant role Waste Water Treatment Works like Girvan have, with over one-billion litres of waste water being treated every day across Scotland.”
Jim Melvin, Scottish Water’s Senior Operator covering Girvan and a number of other sites in Ayrshire, said: “Our team plays a critical role every day of the year, making sure that the waste water our customers have used can be cleaned and safely returned to the environment.“We are pleased to welcome MSPs and other stakeholders to see and talk about the work we do – and very much appreciate Sharon Dowey taking the time to visit.”
Office of Sharon Dowey MSP - South Scotland Region
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