Community / South Whiteness water supply ‘unacceptable’ as upgrade postponed
A SHETLAND community councillor has questioned whether Scottish Water has got its priorities right after essential works to upgrade supplies in South Whiteness have been “cancelled” with no indication when they will be carried out.
Andrew Archer said it was “very well” for Scottish Water to claim it had insufficient funds to invest when the utility was happy to sponsor the 2023 visit of the Tall Ships to Lerwick.
“If they’ve got money for PR but not to mend the pipes, you have to ask whether they have got their priorities right,” the chair of the Tingwall, Whiteness and Weisdale Community Council (TWWCC) said.
It comes after essential works to the supply in South Whiteness were quietly shelved after they were due to get under way in November of last year.
Scottish Water said it was “operating in a very challenging financial landscape”.
Archer said residents had been told the works had been postponed indefinitely, but Scottish Water was adamant that the project had not been cancelled and “remains under review”.
He added that the community council’s view is that the situation was totally unacceptable.
“People in South Whiteness have put up for years now with frequent interruptions to their supply and low pressure,” he said.
“Reports in the local media recently about how fewer old asbestos pipes have been replaced in Shetland than on the mainland suggest that Shetland has already been lagging behind in Scottish Water’s investment work.
“We feel that the community in South Whiteness has put up with these problems for long enough and that Scottish Water should get on with the work.”
Shetland News reported on the issue on back in 2023, with one councillor saying water supply was a “huge problem” for South Whiteness residents.
A spokesperson for Scottish Water said: “In the years following the pandemic, costs have risen higher than expected and although we have been making efforts to rebalance the situation, an impact remains on our short-term financial position.
“We are continually reviewing our commitments to ensure our investment programme is affordable and we are working to ensure we are in the best position possible to deliver future investment.
“Once we have confirmed dates for renewals on Shetland, we will communicate these to customers and stakeholders.”
In response Archer said: “Are we supposed to be grateful that it is seemingly indefinitely postponed rather than cancelled?
“I think that, for the people who are living with the current poor service, it doesn’t make a lot of difference. They [Scottish Water] need to say when the work is going to be done.”
The Scottish Water spokesperson added: “In the meantime, our local team will continue to do all they can to maintain reliable service and assist customers until long-term investment can be delivered.”
Meanwhile, the company’s investment in the new Eela Water treatment plant near Ollaberry is unaffected by the review of its investment programme.
Construction started in September last year and funding is secured for the completion and operation of the facility, Scottish Water said.
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:
- Removal of third-party ads;
- Bookmark posts to read later;
- Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
- Hide membership messages;
- Comments open for discussion.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.
Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.
