They have been piping in the New Year in one Fife community – quite literally.
For the finishing touches are being made to a new £4 million sewer pipe to help protect the environment for the long term in the river Leven.
The pipeline project, due for completion in March, involves replacing the 190-metre-long and 1.4 metre-wide sewer which criss-crosses the river at Kirkland.
It also involves building new pipe bridges.
The pipe goes into Levenmouth waste water treatment works which serves a quarter of a million people in Fife.
The pipe coupling – the red metal clasps which hold the pipe together – were shipped to Scotland from Pennsylvania.
They were chosen because they are quicker and easier to install than traditional pipe couplings, taking just a fifth of the time to put in place.
The pipe itself has been custom made for this project and thanks to its coating, is predicted to last for the next 50 years.
The outgoing pipe, which had come to the end of its life having served the area since the 1950s, will be removed and sent for recycling along with its concrete foundations.
However, the multi-million-pound project, south of the Dam wood, has not come without its challenges.
Engineers from Scottish Water and Alliance partners ABV had to ensure that up to 3,000 litres of sewage a second could keep flowing into the works 24/7 without any disruption while the work was carried out.
By using the latest pump technology, while working closely with SEPA and the Fisheries Board, they were able to successfully divert flows in the sewer over the sensitive water course.
Regional corporate affairs manager Scott Fraser said; “Working on sewer pipes of this size in such close proximity to a river is challenging.
“By carrying out this complex piece of engineering, we are ensuring that nearly two thirds of those living in Fife can continue to receive a reliable waste water service for the new year and well beyond.”
