New sewer system could end flooding woes

Above: the route of the new Shieldhall tunnel. Below: flash flooding has long affected areas such as Robslee.

The upgrade — part of the water board’s five year, £250 million investment — will introduce a 3.1 mile waste water tunnel running between Queen’s Park and Craigton industrial estate, via Pollok and Bellahouston parks.

Promised to resolve water quality and reduce flooding issues, the new sewer tunnel will be the biggest of its kind in Scotland — large enough to fit a double decker bus inside, and more than five times longer than the Clyde Tunnel.

Work is scheduled to start in mid 2014 and will take three and a half years to complete.

Geoff Aitkenhead, Scottish Water’s asset management director, explained: “The Shieldhall tunnel will resolve large-scale water quality problems in the river Clyde and reduce the risk of flooding in Aikenhead Road and Curtin Avenue in Mount Florida and Robslee Drive, Robslee Road, Robslee Crescent, and Orchard Park Avenue, all in Giffnock.”

Community engagement plans have commenced in areas which will be affected by the contruction works, and Mark Maclaren, regional community manager, added: “We anticipate there will be some impact on certain areas during construction work, but the vast majority of this work will be underground and out of sight.”

The possibility of substantial investment to the southside’s water system was reported by The Extra in May this year.

Regular flooding had long affected more than 100 houses near Bagabout Burn in Giffnock.

Despite frustration at the length of time work will take to complete, west of Scotland MSP Stewart Maxwell welcomed the fact that “Scottish Water has listened to the concerns of residents and promised to put in place a solution”.