A £1.6 million facility has been opened in the Highlands and Central Belt to test near market water and wastewater technologies.
Funded by a £1.6m grant from the Scottish Government, two Development Centres within treatment works have been created by Scottish Water where companies can test new equipment, products and processes for potential roll-out in the water industry.
At Gorthleck in the Highlands, a water Development Centre has been created within a former water treatment works. The facility has its own feed of raw water, with sampling collection and analysis available from Scottish Water’s accredited laboratories.
At Bo’ness near Falkirk, a wastewater Development Centre has been created next to our existing wastewater treatment works.
The Development Centres aim to promote “innovation and growth in the water sector” and “support SMEs with final testing of near market technology”.
Andrew Macdonald, head of Scottish Water Horizons, the public utility’s commercial subsidiary which has developed the centres, said: “By developing these facilities in the Highlands and Central Belt, we are meeting a need in the water industry for dedicated testing facilities where new equipment and technologies can be tested to allow companies to accelerate the development of technologies for use in the future treatment of water and waste water.”
He added: “The treatment of water and waste water can be energy intensive and costly. Our Development Centres at Gorthleck and Bo’ness will offer companies in the water industry an opportunity to test new processes and equipment which could potentially be more effective and produce savings for customers.”
Trials will be overseen by Scottish Water and water used for testing at Gorthleck will not be supplied to customers but will be safely returned to the environment.
Any wastewater used for testing at Bo’ness will then go through the normal treatment process before it is safely returned to the environment in the normal way, the utility said.
Keith Brown, cabinet secretary for infrastructure, investment & cities, said: “The opening of Scotland’s first ever dedicated water technology testing facilities at Gorthleck and Bo’ness offers the industry an invaluable opportunity to test new technologies and processes for future use in the treatment of water and wastewater.”
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