issue two: may 2009 - Halcrow

ElginmarvelCoastal communities scattered along Scotland’s Moray Firthare turning on their taps to a safer water supply, thanks to aHalcrow-led infrastructure overhaul.Concealed by hills and scrubland, the Badentinan water treatmentworks supplies the city of Elgin with 27 million litres daily. Villagesstrewn across the firth’s far-flung reaches and a soup factory also tapinto the plant’s supply.Water quality tests consistently returned results of high turbidity orcloudiness. Readings were up to four times higher than acceptablelevels, as determined by recent water quality directives.Undertaking work for Scottish Water Solutions, Halcrow’s team washeavily involved in the investigations, design work and production oftender and construction documents for the essential upgrade. Halcrowinherited several concept designs, a proposed rapid gravity filter (RGF)and an approved £12 million budget.Badentinan water treatment worksConvinced there was a more effective method of treating turbidity andfollowing discussions with suppliers, the team arrived at an alternative– an ultra-filtration (UF) membrane plant.Tenders for the revised design came in at £5 million – a hefty saving onthe funds already committed. While the initially proposed RGF facilityrequired a 9km pipeline to pump waste to Elgin’s sewage treatmentplant, by-products from Halcrow’s option are minimal and easilyneutralised. Recognising this, the Scottish Environmental ProtectionAgency has permitted the discharge of treated waste flows into a localwaterway, removing the need for the pipeline.After selecting the membrane supplier – and ordering the parts fromAustralia – the team designed a bespoke building to house the plantand associated machinery. This included a 50m 3 reinforced concretefeeder tank and a 36m-long, 20m-wide, 7m-high steel-clad building.The Invernessproject teamNeil AimersMathew BotMurray RichardsonBrian CarsonScot BellPaul BrettAli MuirLouise RossEddie DouglasAlan MacLarenAlexsej FrolovRichard Sewerniak£The new plant came ‘on stream’ at the close of 2008, four monthsahead of schedule and several million pounds under budget.