Ecologists working on our 4D operations delivering Southern Water’s capital investment programme found bats roosting at Robertsbridge Pumping Station so they installed bat boxes and then repair works could begin. Essential works to the pumping station building included the repair of soffit boarding to prevent the bats using it as an access route into the building to roost. The installation of the bat boxes will increase the amount of roosting habitat for the numerous bat species found within the area. The boxes have been positioned to face the south to allow them to warm up in the sun and offer prime roosting conditions.
In our contract helping to deliver Scottish Water’s capital programme, plans to use trees for screening in the construction of a £2m wastewater treatment works at Tarland was abandoned after consulting local wildlife experts. Tall trees would have attracted rooks and other predators that would have threatened the birds which populate the neighbouring wetlands. Therefore the choice of trees planted was decided based on the wildlife present.
Another project in Strontian was to create an intake weir for a membrane drinking water treatment plant. Care was taken to ensure the design and timing for this project complemented the salmon spawning season. This required us to not only design the inlet to allow resting pools for the salmon at each step, but also to bring in extra resources to finish on time before October and working closely with the local salmon fisheries.