Major sewer upgrade delivered in St Andrews

Scottish Water has invested £1.9 million to prevent sewer flooding at the home of golf in the heart of St Andrews. 

CCTV surveys showed a sewer adjacent to the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) building at the world-famous Old Course had reached the end of its operational lifespan and work to bring it up to par included restoration of a burst sewer pipe and replacement of pipework beneath the first putting green.

The investment saw the publicly-owned utility and delivery partner Morrison Construction team work closely with the local community, R&A and St Andrews Links Trust to minimise disruption while work took place to replace the ageing sewer system.

As part of Scottish Water’s commitment to investing in low carbon innovation to improve its services, low noise eco-pumps were deployed, site hoardings donated and the work cabins were powered by an LPG hybrid generator. 

Scottish Water has invested £2.7bililion over the past decade to address the challenge of ageing assets, increasing demand and climate change on its waste water network. 

Rob Mustard, Scottish Water's Director of Capital Investment said:

“This significant investment in the waste water network in St Andrews has been designed to benefit those living and working in the town, providing customers with a more resilient system to support future growth and protect the local environment.

“Safely replacing infrastructure in busy areas such as this is challenging work and brings with it the potential for disruption for those living and working locally. The teams involved are to be commended for minimising the impact this work had upon local residents and those playing and working at the Old Course.”

The project was delivered by Scottish Water’s delivery partner Morrison Construction.

Matthew Anderson, Connections Manager, Morrison Construction said: 

"No construction project is without its challenges—but through careful planning and true collaboration, Morrison Construction and its partners have once again demonstrated what can be achieved through dedication, ingenuity and teamwork. 

"At the heart of St Andrews, our construction and design teams tackled complex ground conditions and tight delivery timescales head-on. Working up to 6 metres below ground level, navigating multiple unmapped services without incident, the team delivered critical infrastructure in one of Scotland’s most iconic settings—safely and effectively. 

"This project stands as a shining example of engineering innovation, asset resilience and low-carbon delivery. It reflects the shared commitment of Morrison Construction, our delivery partners, our supply chain, and Scottish Water to raising the bar on sustainable infrastructure. 

"We're proud of what has been achieved—this is infrastructure built not just to function, but to last."