Moray can expect a marked improvement in water quality as a result of a £3.5billion investment announced by Scottish Water on Monday.
The Scotland-wide investment includes £5.6million to be spent on drinking water improvements to the Glenlatterach facility at Birnie.
Part of a six-year investment programme, Scottish Water will borrow £720million from the Scottish Government in a process that they say will produce around 5000 construction jobs.
Richard Lochhead MSP said: “This new investment is fantastic news not just for our environment but for our economy – supporting 5,000 new construction jobs across the country.
“Here in Moray a multi-million pound investment at the Glenlatterach water treatment facility has been included in the announcement.
“This investment is backed by the Scottish Government which has time and again demonstrated a commitment to invest in our public services with the economic powers currently at our disposal.”
The investment is almost three times that made in the Glenlatterach water facility five years ago when £2.2million was spent on the facility that serves around 40,000 people living in Elgin, Forres and Lossiemouth.