Winchburgh WWtW

Galliford Try, as part of ESD, Scottish Water’s Non-Infrastructure Alliance Partner alongside MWH Treatment and Binnies, has played a pivotal role in the delivery of this transformative project, serving the growing town of Winchburgh in West Lothian. 

As part of the West Lothian Development Plan, Winchburgh, is undergoing significant expansion, with its population projected to grow from 3,800 to 16,389 by 2032.

To meet the demands of this rapid development, Scottish Water invested £35m in a state-of-the-art lower carbon Nereda treatment plant, replacing the existing biofiltration facility with a modern, efficient wastewater solution.

The new facility integrates upper and lower catchment pumping stations to intercept existing sewers, transferring flows to packaged inlet works for initial screening and grit removal. Overflow is effectively managed by combined sewer overflows which screen and discharge excess flows to watercourses, maintaining environmental integrity.

From the Nereda influent buffer tank, the full flow to treatment is divided between three advanced Nereda reactors. These reactors utilise cutting-edge aerobic granular sludge technology, delivering high-efficiency treatment within a compact footprint. Excess flows are diverted to storm tanks, which automatically empty and clean after storm events, seamlessly reintegrating storm water into the treatment process.

Sludge management is another key feature of the facility. Excess sludge gravitates to settlement and thickening systems before being processed further, while liquors are returned to the influent buffer tank to optimise resource use.

This closed-loop approach ensures operational efficiency and aligns with modern sustainability standards, meaning more waste water can be treated faster and with less chemicals, in a smaller site area and with a much-reduced carbon footprint.