Tag: Scottish Water

Make Water Bottles Part of the Back to School Regime

Parents in Edinburgh are being urged to give their kids an early lesson on the importance of keeping healthy and hydrated as part of their planning on the long-awaited return to school.

Scots health and nutrition expert Amanda Hamilton is supporting a drive by Scottish Water to ensure that every child’s back to school regime includes a reusable water bottle along with the standard new blazer, gym kit and pencil case.

As part of a family’s daily school regime, it is recommended to fill a pupil’s water bottle at home before getting to classes.

Amanda, a mother-of-two and best-selling author, said although parents should be encouraged at all times to educate their children about the benefits of water – but the start of the new school term, especially after the enforced lengthy shutdown of schools, is the perfect platform.

Amanda said: “Ensuring children to have a regular water intake throughout the school day is a vital aspect to maintain good health and a healthy learning environment.

“It has been proven that through drinking water and staying hydrated children are more attentive and focused during lessons for longer periods of time.

“We are lucky to have safe and delicious water from the tap, we should all be making the most of it. For parents trying to wean kids off sugary drinks, it can help to add a slice or orange, lemon or even a sprig of mint to tap water for extra flavour.

“Like many families, in my home we do all we can do reduce the use of plastic. We’ve made it part of the daily routine to re-fill water bottles from the tap.

“By highlighting the benefits of a reusable water bottle and filling up from the tap, we are helping to instil in children the small daily habits that can make a big difference. The reality is that this is a message for all ages – so using a reusable water bottle is just as applicable for staff returning to workplaces too.”

The advice comes as Scottish Water continues to expand its ‘Your Water Your Life’ campaign which aims to encourage people to top up from the tap to benefit the environment, their health and their pocket.

Brian Lironi, Director of Corporate Affairs at Scottish Water, said: ‘Your Water Your Life’ aims to highlight the importance water plays in the lives of people across Scotland.

“Every child needs to be aware of the benefits of a reusable water bottle – and of just how easy it is to use one to top up with tap water and so continue to enjoy the benefits of our nation’s greatest natural asset.

“We’d always encourage parents and children to make sure they have a water bottle included as a key part of their back-to-school planning, in the same way as sorting out new trainers or a school bag.”

To encourage people to stay hydrated on the go, a network of Top up Taps is being installed by Scottish Water throughout the country. Nearly 30 taps are already sited – the first one being outside the Scottish Parliament – and the aim is to have 70 taps installed at public spaces by March 2021.   

Find out more at: https://www.yourwateryourlife.co.uk/

Tackling the Seafield Stench

Major Investment at Seafield Waste Water Treatment Works

Major investment is planned for the country’s biggest waste water treatment works so it can serve the growing needs of Scotland’s capital city. The news has been welcomed by local MSP Ben Macpherson.
Scottish Water will carry out improvements to the Seafield Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW) in Edinburgh, which processes 300 million litres of waste water every day, to help improve operational resilience and mitigate potential odours at the facility and support the city’s growing population.

Following an independent review, a number of recommendations were made for the site and these improvements have been delivered.

In addition to measures already taken, Scottish Water’s further investment of about £10 million in improved sludge storage will be delivered during a new investment programme, which starts in 2021.

This follows a review of treatment capacity in the region which has established that Seafield and Newbridge WWTWs can accommodate forecast growth in the region until at least 2029, after which there will need to be a review of further required investment at that time.

Scottish Water will work with its partners in the Edinburgh and Lothians Drainage Partnership (ELDP) to reduce the amount of surface water entering our sewers and volumes arriving at Seafield WWTW, and to mitigate climate change risks.

Scottish Water is committed to minimising odour issues in the area of the Seafield WWTW and is working closely with its operating partners, Veolia, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Edinburgh City Council.

Douglas Millican, Scottish Water’s Chief Executive, said: “Scottish Water has already completed a lot of the work that was recommended in the independent review and we are committed to working with the community going forward to ensure that the planned investment and future investment is done in partnership.

“We are bringing forward this investment in extra sludge storage to help with odour risk management and we are confident that, as strategically important sites, Seafield WWTW and Newbridge WWTW can accommodate additional waste water to meet the needs of a growing region.”

He added: “Scottish Water is committed to working with stakeholders on our short-term investment and in developing options for Seafield WWTW in the long-term.”

Ben Macpherson, constituency MSP and Chair of the Seafield Stakeholder Group welcomed the planned Scottish Water investment at Seafield WWTW.

He said: “I very much welcome this £10 million of major investment by Scottish Water to upgrade the Seafield Waste Water Treatment Works and minimise odour issues in the area.

“I pay tribute to all of the Stakeholder Group for helping to secure this investment, and particularly the local Community Council and Residents’ Association who, along with others including myself, have campaigned for improvements over several years.

“Following the recent independent review of the site and surrounding networks, I’m pleased that Scottish Water is implementing the recommendations and that our Stakeholder Group has made a positive impact.

“This investment should make a meaningful difference towards addressing the odour issues that occur in Leith, and improve the performance of the Seafield Waste Water Treatment Works for the benefit of Edinburgh as a whole.”

Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, said: “This latest investment from Scottish Water into our biggest waste water treatment works, is an important step in improving operational resilience and ensuring the site continues to serve the growing needs of our capital city.”

Children with disabilities encouraged to learn to swim

PARENTS in Edinburgh are being encouraged to send children with disabilities to swimming lessons as it is a life skill.

Scottish Swimming has launched its #SeeMyAbility campaign to get parents to talk more openly about their child’s disability and encourage them to put their children into mainstream swimming classes.

Scottish Swimming and Scottish Water – who are partners in Learn to Swim – provide a progressive pathway for children with physical, sensory and learning impairments.

The programme is delivered by aquatic providers across Scotland and locally by Edinburgh Leisure.

The Inclusion campaign was launched by Learn to Swim ambassador and multi-medal winning para-athlete Toni Shaw who came through a mainstream Learn to Swim programme before joining swimming club Cults Otters.

Paul Wilson, Disability Performance Development Manager, Scottish Swimming said: “Scottish Swimming’s vision is ‘everyone can swim’ and learning to swim is an activity for all regardless of ability or disability, and the whole swimming pathway can be taught in an inclusive way.

“Swimming is an important life skill and can be great fun in a group environment. This should be no different for a child with a disability.”

Brian Lironi, Director of Corporate Affairs, Scottish Water, said: “Children with disabilities should have the same opportunities in their lessons, as swimming can offer so much and is an important life skill.

“As we aim to roll the Learn to Swim programme out to 100,000 children across Scotland, we’re making sure that we’re offering inclusive opportunities for all children to become safe and competent in and around water.”

As part of the campaign, swimming teachers and coaches will be provided with a resource toolkit that will help them teach and coach in an inclusive way throughout the whole aquatic pathway from Learn to Swim through to clubs and at the performance level.

Angela McCowan, Aquatics Manager at Edinburgh Leisure, said: “We teach all children in an inclusive way at Edinburgh Leisure and it is great to get these additional resources to support our swimming teachers as we continue to grow our programme.”

Edinburgh Leisure delivers the Learn to Swim programme at 10 pools across the city, teaching children from birth upwards.

Toni said: “I’m really proud to be an ambassador for the Learn to Swim Framework and really pleased that children with a disability are taught in inclusive learn to swim environments. If there’s someone with a disability and the swimming teachers are aware of the impairment the lessons can be adapted.

“It’s great to develop as a swimmer and be seen beyond my disability. This has helped me integrate into a performance environment where I get to train alongside other world-class athletes.”

Scottish Swimming continue to work in partnership with Scottish Disability Sport to provide opportunities along the full aquatic pathway.

Gavin MacLeod, CEO at Scottish Disability Sport, said: “Scottish Swimming is a great example of a sport’s governing body that is committed to and actively delivering their sport in an inclusive way and this is particularly prominent with their work around the Learn to Swim Framework and engagement with local partners.”

The National Learn to Swim Framework aims to raise standards and achieve consistency in swimming programmes across Scotland.

More information on the National Learn to Swim Framework and #SeeMyAbility can be found on the dedicated website: www.learntoswim.scot

Scottish Water’s partnership with Scottish Swimming to promote the Learn to Swim programme, which aims to help 100,000 children across the country become confident swimmers.

Edinburgh kids take part in biggest ever water safety lesson

THOUSANDS of young swimmers in Edinburgh are to get a lesson covering self-rescue and life-saving skills in the largest coordinated water safety lesson ever seen in Scotland. Continue reading Edinburgh kids take part in biggest ever water safety lesson

Easter Drylaw Drive to close for three weeks

Scottish Water has informed residents that a section of Easter Drylaw Drive will be closed to traffic for three weeks to allow essential repairs to the sewer network to take place.

The work will begin on Thursday 25 October and is expected to last three weeks.

All local footpaths will remain open but road traffic will be diverted via Easter Drylaw Place and Easter Drylaw View.

Saving Our Seas: Scottish Government to consult on plastic cotton bud ban

Plans to introduce legislation to ban the manufacture and sale of plastic stemmed cotton buds have been announced by Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham. The proposals will be put to public consultation and would make Scotland the first country in the UK to legislate against these environmentally damaging items. Continue reading Saving Our Seas: Scottish Government to consult on plastic cotton bud ban