Friends of Milngavie group urge people to engage in reservoir consultation

In a consultation launched online this week, the utility is encouraging people who have an interest in these two Scottish Water assets to give their views and help inform future plans for investment.

Craigmaddie and Mugdock reservoirs were built in the 19th century and are considered an outstanding example of Victorian engineering.

They store water that comes from Loch Katrine via the Katrine Aqueduct to be treated at Milngavie Water Treatment Works (WTW)

for about 700,000 people in Greater Glasgow. The infrastructure around the reservoirs is

Grade A-listed by Historic Environment Scotland.

With these historically significant sites attracting around 160,000 visitors per year, Scottish

Water is keen to understand what people like and dislike about the areas, visitors’ needs,

and determine people’s priorities for future improvements.

Eddie Yacoubian, of the Friends of Milngavie Reservoir (FOMR) group, is urging people to engage in the consultation.

He said: “Friends of Milngavie Reservoir values being engaged in partnership with Scottish Water’s consultation process and will continue to play our part in helping to maintain the reservoir as an important heritage and recreational asset for visitors.

“It is also vital that the views of the community are taken into account as we all move forward in restoring and enhancing the reservoir to its original beauty.”

Ruaridh MacGregor, Scottish Water’s corporate affairs regional manager in the west, said:

“The consultation is going to give us great insight into people’s views of the reservoirs and

help us understand what’s important to people - not just what’s important to Scottish Water.

Of course, a careful balance needs to be struck between operational needs, historical

conservation requirements, and cost and while we can’t promise to fulfil an endless wish list,

we can assure the public that we will listen to their views and use their feedback to plan

future improvements and maintenance of the reservoirs and the adjacent land.

“Together with interest groups and stakeholders from the surrounding areas, we’re fully

committed to maintaining these popular sites and making them the best they can be. That’s

why we’re urging as many people as possible to give us their views by completing our simple

survey which takes just a few minutes.”

Eddie Yacoubian, of the Friends of Milngavie Reservoir (FOMR) group, said: “Friends of Milngavie Reservoir values being engaged in partnership with Scottish Water’s consultation process and will continue to play our part in helping to maintain the reservoir as an important heritage and recreational asset for visitors.

“It is also vital that the views of the community are taken into account as we all move forward in restoring and enhancing the reservoir to its original beauty.”

The consultation will run for six weeks and can be completed online at

www.scottishwater.co.uk/Milngaviefeedback. Paper copies can also be made available on

request by emailing the project team via [email protected] or

by calling 0800 0778 778.

Customers can find out more about our work and possible future investment on a dedicated

website at www.scottishwater.co.uk/milngavie.