A wastewater treatment works in West Lothian has won a prestigious sustainability award from The Royal Academy of Engineering.
Owned and operated by Scottish Water, the £35m waste water treatment works, which was officially opened in October 2024, has been designed to serve the community by supporting an expected fourfold increase in Winchburgh’s population over the coming years.
Now Scottish Water, its delivery partner ESD, (a joint venture between Binnies, MWH Treatment and Galliford Try) Haskoning and its UK licence partner EPS have been recognised with the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Major Project Award for Sustainability. The individual medal winners are Colin Maybury and Jonny Tyler of Scottish Water, Stephen Fraser (ESD), Andrew Dyne (Haskoning) and Alan Ford (EPS).
The new site’s Nereda® treatment technology, developed by Haskoning and provided via UK licence partner EPS, reduces energy usage by up to 50% compared with alternatives, while providing an excellent standard of treatment to protect the local environment.
The aerobic granular biomass at the heart of the Nereda® technology enables multiple stages of the waste water treatment process to take place within one of three individual tanks, operating in sequence. This means more waste water can be treated faster and with less chemicals, in a smaller site area and with a much-reduced carbon footprint.
Winchburgh is the second site in Scotland to use the low carbon technology, following a pioneering project in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, with the same supply chain partners. Early collaboration in the design of the West Lothian site and learning from Inverurie enabled further significant carbon savings from using low carbon stainless steel rather than concrete for the main tanks, reduced excavation and greater use of off-site fabrication. Solar generation has also been fitted to the roof of the site’s control building to meet a significant part of the site’s remaining energy needs; and EV chargers have been installed to support the electrification of Scottish Water’s vehicle fleet.
Winners will receive their medals at a ceremony in London in July.
Joanne Kay, GM Wastewater Operations, Scottish Water said:
“Winchburgh Waste Water Treatment Works has been designed to support customers in one of the country’s fastest-growing communities, and I’m thrilled that the close collaborative work with our partners has been recognised through this prestigious sustainability award.
“Delivery of Winchburgh WWTW reflected a significant step forward for sustainability, driving down carbon emissions in construction without compromising on quality. Scottish Water will continue to work with partners to deliver the further improvements needed to go beyond net zero emissions by 2040.
“The Wastewater Customer Service Delivery team is immensely proud to operate this new state-of-the-art treatment facility at Winchburgh. It stands as a testament to our dedication to excellence in service delivery, environmental stewardship, and community support. The facility not only marks a major advancement in wastewater treatment but also plays a vital role in safeguarding the local environment and meeting the needs of a growing community.”
Peter Walsh, COO, ESD, said:
“Along with our partners Haskoning and EPS, ESD is absolutely delighted to have won this year’s RAE sustainability award. We are proud to be a Scottish Water Alliance Partner, protecting public health and the environment across Scotland.
“The new Winchburgh wastewater treatment works is a great step forward for the environmentally sensitive treatment of wastewater. We share Scottish Water’s ambition to achieve net zero by 2040 and the technologies used at Winchburgh will help us achieve that goal. This project sets a clear benchmark for other similar projects planned for the future.
“This prestigious award is worthy recognition for the whole team. Sincere thanks to my ESD colleagues and our supply chain partners for their commitment and expertise which has resulted in the successful completion of this important flagship project.”
Andrew Dyne, Contracts Manager, Haskoning said:
“This award is a testament to what can be achieved through true collaboration and a shared commitment to sustainability. At Haskoning, we’re proud to see our Nereda® technology once again delivering real-world impact—supporting Scottish Water and the people of Winchburgh with a future-proof, low-carbon solution that sets a new standard for wastewater treatment in the UK.”
Shaun Stevens, UK General Manager, EPS said:
“We are delighted to see this recognition of the Winchburgh project by the Royal Academy of Engineering. The scheme was a true exemplar of collaboration between all of the key stakeholders, from the remote design-phase partnership during the Covid pandemic, through to the deployment of innovative technology and a cutting-edge off-site delivery methodology.
“It sets a clear standard and provides a working template for future project delivery. The award is testament to the progressive thinking of the project partners and the leadership of the medal winners through the project lifecycle.”
