Ness Regional WTW

WJ is an industry leader in dewatering and hydrogeology management systems in the UK. Our contracts take us far and wide, from Central London to the northern reaches of Scotland and everywhere else in between. One such project took us to the shores of the world-famous Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands for a ‘monster’ of a project.

Location

Invermoriston, Scotland

Client

ESD / Morrison Construction

Year

2019

Features

Drilling, rivers and canals, ejector systems, excavations

Construction site by the water | Ness Regional | Dewatering

WJ is an industry leader in dewatering and hydrogeology management systems in the UK. Our contracts take us far and wide, from Central London to the northern reaches of Scotland and everywhere else in between. One such project took us to the shores of the world-famous Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands for a ‘monster’ of a project. Unfortunately, there were no sightings of the famous creature.

As part of the Scottish Water framework upgrades being undertaken at existing Water Treatment Works sites, supplementary new developments to expand the existing network have taken place. One of these sites is located on the western shore of Loch Ness, close to the picturesque village of Invermoriston.
WJ’s groundwater control solutions for Ness Regional

WJ was employed by Morrison Construction, working on behalf of the main client ESD (a joint venture of Galliford Try, Black and Veatch, and MWH Treatment) to provide dewatering services. Our team was required to aid the construction of a new approximately 8-metre-deep wet well chamber, as part of a new raw intake pumping station. The location provided challenges because of its lochside situation by the old Invermoriston Pier.


The ground conditions on-site consisted of a predominant combination of silty sands and gravels with some cobbles and boulders, overlying psammite. High flow rates are commonly found in such environments; however, due to the silty nature of the soils, the project consultants predicted the flow would be much lower. On this occasion, it was determined that an ejector dewatering system would be the most practical solution. This decision was swiftly proven to be correct because flow rates from a 12-well system were rarely above 0.7 l/s. The presence of cobbles and boulders on-site posed a potential challenge for any on-site drilling too. So, WJ introduced an air flush system into proceedings and was able to install wells with minimal delays, ensuring the client’s programme was maintained.

WJ was able to showcase technical, flexible, and reactive abilities as several boreholes encountered a higher level of flow than first anticipated once drilling had taken place (with additional artesian groundwater pressures). It was therefore necessary to quickly modify our design to ensure the pumping wells terminated at a shallower depth within the sand and gravel. This adjustment was necessary to ensure the successful running of the system and secure a dry excavation for the client.

Similar projects

WJ Groundwater has completed similar groundwater management projects in the UK and globally. Click on the links below to learn more about what we do.

Are you ready to see what else our vision can bring to your projects? Why not speak to our team of groundwater experts today?