Investigatory Works in Liberton
Project Overview
Scottish Water is carrying out an investigation and assessment of the condition of four water mains in Liberton. This involves completing surveys on sections of the network located in heavily trafficked areas, helping us understand their current condition and the remaining lifespan of the mains.
Work is due to begin on Sunday, 29 March and is expected to continue until July.
Across the programme, 18 surveys will be carried out, some requiring a short‑term road closure to allow the work to be carried out safely.
Work will be delivered by George Leslie Ltd on behalf of Scottish Water.
At A Glance
- Investigating condition and lifespan of water network
- Work expected from Sunday, 29 March until approx. July
- 18 surveys to be carried out in total
- Road closures expected
- Delivered by George Leslie Ltd
Why We Are Doing This
The old Alnwickhill Water Treatment Works (WTW) in Liberton stopped being used after the new Glencorse WTW opened in 2012. A new water main was then built to connect Glencorse to the existing Alnwickhill network.
Because Glencorse sits much higher up than Alnwickhill, the water coming from it arrived at a higher pressure. This extra pressure caused several bursts on four of the large water mains in the Liberton area.
To fix this, Scottish Water replaced the pressure‑reducing valves at Alnwickhill, which brought the pressure back under control. Since these changes were made, there have been no further bursts reported since 2017.
We need to check the condition of the water mains downstream of Alnwickhill so we can understand what future work might be needed and plan the right teams and resources to do it.
What To Expect
Work will start on Sunday, 29 March 2026 and is expected to last until approximately July. We’ll be carrying out 18 surveys, some of which will need a seven‑day road closure so our team can work safely. These closures have been agreed with the City of Edinburgh Council, and diversions will be in place to help keep traffic moving.
A rough traffic‑management schedule is outlined below; however, please note this may change depending on how the work progresses.
| Address | Schedule | Start | End |
| Kirkgate, EH16 6RY | Road closure from side of No.6 to side of No.10 | 29/03/2026 | 04/04/2026 |
| Claverhouse Drive, EH16 6DH | Road closure from Jct Kirk Brae to Jct Glendinning Crescent | 05/04/2026 | 11/04/2026 |
| Kirk Brae, EH16 6HT | Traffic lights and suspended parking between No.30 and Jct Peveril Terrace | 05/04/2026 | 11/04/2026 |
| Gilmerton Road, EH16 6YS | Traffic lights north of entrance to surgery to Jct Rutherford Drive | 12/04/2026 | 18/04/2026 |
| Orchardhead Road, EH16 6HJ | Road closure from Jct Liberton Brae to No.1 | 19/04/2026 | 09/05/2026 |
| Orchardhead Loan, EH16 6HW | Road closure from Jct Liberton Brae to side of No.1 |
10/05/2026 | 30/05/2026 |
| Gracemount Square, EH16 6EQ | Road closure between No.11 to No.32, including side footpath leading to Burnhead Crescent | 31/05/2026 | 13/06/2026 |
| Gracemount Avenue, EH16 6SR | Road closure from side of No.75 to No.81 | 14/06/2026 | 20/06/2026 |
| Glendinning Crescent, EH16 6DN | Car park closure - left side across from No.93 | 21/06/2026 | 27/06/2026 |
| Cumnor Crescent, EH16 6BD | Road closure from side No.47/49 to Jct Glenvarloch Crescent including car park area | 28/06/2026 | 11/07/2026 |
Keeping You Informed
We will aim to let residents know at least four weeks before work and any road closures begin near their homes via direct letter. The letters will include visual aids, such as traffic management diagrams and road closure maps to help explain what's happening. Copies of the letters issued so far can be found in the ‘Documents Hub’ on this page.
We will also share reminders ahead of each closure on our social media channels, mainly Facebook.
