£1.4m pipe works will improve water supply in Ayr homes

Aug 29 2008

WATER chiefs are to splash out £1.4 million improving the supply to hundreds of homes and businesses.

Ageing pipes will be replaced in a bid to reduce the number of bursts and, it’s hoped, reduce the need to make regular repairs.

The project will start on Monday, September 1 in Whitletts Road, Walker Road and Craigie Road and will be completed by spring next year.

Paul Maxwell is Scottish Water’s regional manager.

He said: “It is a major improvement programme in a key part of Ayr which will bring significant benefits to residents and businesses by securing their water supply .

“The area has suffered from a number of bursts to pipes in recent years but Scottish Water is confident that our work will substantially reduce this.

“These arterial routes are hugely important to Ayr and its economy so the additional benefit of reducing the number of repairs to bursts and the traffic disruption that come with that will be welcomed by anyone who uses these roads.”

In all four kilometres of 50 year old steel water mains will be replaced by new plastic ones.

But water bosses admit that traffic will be disrupted while work is carried out.

Work will start in Hunters Avenue next week and will be carried out in Whitletts Road from the autumn and into winter.

Craigie Road will be affected towards the end of the project, after festive holiday.

Contractors have taken account of major race meetings, including Ayr Gold Cup and the Scottish Grand National.

Project manager Michael North said: “We will make every effort to minimise disruption and will take cognisance of the needs of key customers, including schools, a Tesco supermarket, and Northfield Bowling Club.

“Localised areas of work will result in some planned temporary disruption to water supply but this will be kept to a minimum and customers will be given at least 48 hours’ notice of this.

“We are confident that customers in the area and anyone affected by this project will appreciate that any short-term disruption will be far outweighed by the long-term gains that this investment will bring to the area.”

Scottish Water will liaise with local community councillors to update customers on work.

The project is part of Scottish Water’s 2010 Vision for Ayrshire, a programme of investment worth more than £100m over the next two years which will benefit hundreds of thousands of customers throughout North, South and East Ayrshire.