Seafield Waste Water Treatment Works

Seafield Waste Water Treatment Works

Seafield Waste Water Treatment Works is Scotland’s largest waste water treatment facility, processing 265 million litres of waste water daily – that’s the equivalent of 120 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Located on the Firth of Forth to the north of Edinburgh, the facility serves the equivalent of nearly 850,000 people in the capital and the wider Lothians.

Operation

Seafield plays a crucial role in maintaining public health and protecting the environment by treating waste water before it is safely released back into the water environment.

The facility has undergone significant investment in recent years - £34million since 2011 – and is one of the most modern and environmentally-friendly sites of its kind.

Seafield also uses biogas captured during the treatment process to generate green energy, up to 2300 kilowatts of sustainable electricity, enough to make the site self-sufficient, even exporting electricity back to the grid during peak performance.

Ownership

Seafield is financed, designed, built, owned, operated, and maintained by Stirling Water Ltd under the Almond Valley Seafield and Esk (AVSE) Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

Stirling Water subcontracts the operation and maintenance to Veolia Water Outsourcing Ltd (VWOL).

Scottish Water oversees the facility and collaborates with Veolia to ensure optimal performance and compliance with environmental standards at all times.

Odours

A multi-million-pound Odour Improvement Plan was completed in 2012, and the facility is now continually monitored for any potential odour issues.

Further significant investment is planned to move sludge through the site more quickly which will further reduce the risk of odours.