Real-time monitoring cuts pollution risk at Scottish Water site

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When a strategic Scottish Water pumping station had to be taken out of service unexpectedly, the utility faced a significant risk of over-pumping and potential environmental impact. Working with Xylem and its Avensor service, the team used real-time insights to resolve the issue, avoid disruption and return the station to full operation, writes Mark McCullagh, Xylem’s Scotland South project manager.

Planned maintenance

Scottish Water and Xylem were carrying out planned maintenance at St Nicholas Sewage Pumping Station SPS, a large terminal site in St Andrews which receives flows from five upstream stations. The scope included replacing an inlet gate valve and non-return valve NRV along with pump impellers and wear plates.

During the works, engineers discovered that the isolation valve was not sealing correctly, allowing pressure to backflow. This meant the NRV could not be replaced without fully draining the line back into the wet well. Attempts to reseal the flanges were unsuccessful as the pressure had damaged the gasket beyond repair.

Tankering was not a viable option due to high inflows exceeding available capacity, leaving the station reliant on its standby pump. Without a rapid and effective solution, costly and disruptive over-pumping would have been required, with any failure potentially impacting the nearby St Andrews golf course, one of the most recognised sporting locations in the UK.

To overcome this challenge, the team developed a strategy to restrict flows from the five upstream stations by utilising their available storage capacity while the rising main was drained and the NRV replaced.

This approach depended on accurate and continuous real-time monitoring of all five stations. Crucially, two of the assets were already equipped with Xylem’s Avensor monitoring system, providing live data on levels and asset condition.

Data-driven insights

Avensor is a digital monitoring service that provides alerts and data-driven insights from a device connected to pumping stations or other critical infrastructure. Once a modem is installed, the system collects and analyses operational data to deliver a complete overview of connected assets, including performance trends and early warning alerts, accessible via both web platforms and mobile applications.

Using insights from Avensor, engineers were able to remotely monitor conditions and attend sites only when required to pump water in a controlled and efficient manner. The remaining three stations were managed through scheduled site inspections, ensuring that all assets were kept within safe operating limits.

With this intelligence in place, St Nicholas SPS was safely shut down, the rising main was fully drained and the NRV was successfully replaced without incident. Throughout the operation, teams worked collaboratively and adapted plans in real time as conditions changed, demonstrating the value of digital water management solutions in high pressure scenarios.

The success of the project also led Scottish Water to request further quotations from Xylem for additional work on site, underlining the confidence gained through the delivery of this solution.

Results

St Nicholas SPS returned to full operational status without the need for over-pumping
Significant cost and time savings achieved by avoiding additional mitigation measures
Environmental risk reduced with controlled flows preventing pollution events
Minimal disruption to Scottish Water operations despite the complexity of the site
Demonstrated value of Avensor providing real-time intelligence at a critical moment

Delivering resilience through digital water monitoring

This project highlights how Xylem’s engineering expertise, combined with rapid problem solving and advanced digital monitoring technology, can resolve unexpected challenges on complex wastewater assets. It also demonstrates the growing importance of real-time monitoring in the UK water sector, where utilities are under increasing pressure to improve resilience, reduce pollution incidents and optimise operational efficiency.

Solutions such as Avensor enable operators to make informed and timely decisions, helping to safeguard infrastructure, protect the environment and maintain continuity of service even under challenging conditions.

As UK water companies continue to invest in smart asset management and digital transformation, technologies that deliver actionable insights will play a central role in improving performance across wastewater networks.

Mike Kelly, Scottish Water’s wastewater networks team leader, said: “This was a complex job on a busy terminal pumping station. Having live information available allowed our team to manage incoming flows safely, respond quickly and keep the wider environment protected while the work was completed. Working closely with Xylem, we were able to restore the station to full operation, avoiding the cost and disruption associated with temporary over-pumping.”

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