Dalwhinnie makeover starts to take shape
DALWHINNIE is on the verge of a major makeover at its southern entrance.
For too long dogged by a disused, overgrown compound and a rusting old water treatment works, villagers are now beginning to hope that things could change dramatically over the next few months.
All being well, they heard on Tuesday, a £2.3 million upgrade by Scottish Water could get under way in the new year which would leave the village with a new treatment works by this time next year.
"There's a long way to go," said the north's corporate affairs manager Gavin Steel when the Strathy met with an SW team in the village hall, "but we're hopeful that all the many stages will be gone through on schedule.
"We are having to consult with a lot of different individuals and organisations – not least the national park authority, the Highland Council, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and landowners – but this is work which will have to be done on behalf of the community.
"Quite simply the current system has reached its sell-by date. It was installed in 1970 and we have to ensure that we can continue to provide clean, safe, fresh drinking water to our customers locally in the years ahead."
While just a trickle of villagers attended the four-hour drop-in session, the development team considered it a fair proportion of the local population, especially as the community council was represented during the consultation exercise.
"The feedback so far has been good and very useful and we have discussed various questions and concerns and the process is now under way."
One of the early callers to study the plans was former community council chairman Bill Carr, who told the Strathy: "While larger than the current plant, the new buildings do look more 'integrated' and assuming the old site is cleared and landscaped – as they say it will be – this should be good news for Dalwhinnie.
"It will be especially good news if there's some tree-planting around the new works.
"And the community could possibly acquire the old site as a village resource. A car park, for example, would be a major benefit, although that would of course be a question for the current community council to consider."
Also there to view the proposals was local Highland councillor Muriel Cockburn, who heard that the new works would have capacity to produce up to 200,000 litres of drinking water per day, supplied by an "abundant source of raw water from the River Spey".
"It all looks like a major improvement," she said, as she surveyed the old treatment works – mere yards from the disused compound where A9 mega pylon workers had been based until a few years ago.
Concerns have long been raised over that particular eyesore but hopes are high now that a new tenant will be moving in soon to make use of the building.
Full details of that particular development are still awaited.
But if the Scottish Water team win through on schedule, their new treatment works would be installed between the two old buildings.
"Obviously we will have to go on using the old treatment works while we construct the new system," explained project manager Debbie Henderson. "But once in place the village will have a new works to look at.
"It will actually include two new buildings, which will be prefabricated and delivered to the site from Ross-shire Engineering's factory in Muir of Ord."
George Phimister, the company's senior project manager, explained: "The main treatment process involved passing the raw water through a series of membranes which filter out larger organic compounds while allowing clean water molecules to pass through very fine pores.
"The water that has passed through the membranes is then treated further to ensure that it meets customers' expectations and remains safe to drink all the way to the tap."
The system will involve new piping from bore holes to a storage tank to the north of the village.
Mr Steel explained: "Having gathered local feedback we will consider the comments will later advise customers when we are submitting our planning application.
"Subject to being granted approval, we anticipate being on site in early 2019, with work continuing into 2020."
