Scottish Water’s Frontline Team Celebrates More than 250 Years of Combined Service to Communities Throughout Glasgow

A group of dedicated Scottish Water frontline workers have together clocked up more than 250 years of service, ensuring the continued provision of great-tasting water to customers across Glasgow and the surrounding areas.

From Bearsden to Baillieston, Twechar to Neilston, and every community in between, Scottish Water’s dedicated team of operatives are committed, day and night, to protecting and maintaining the vital water infrastructure that millions of people rely on.

Proudly led by George Shankland, the dedicated team of Network Service Operators - Martin Rose, Kenny McMillan, Stephen Bitters, Stevie Shields, William Graham, and Gary Rennison - began their careers with Scottish Water’s predecessors, Strathclyde Water and then West of Scotland Water, before it formally became Scottish Water in 2002. 

“Scottish Water is like a game of snooker - you never get the same shot twice. There’s always something different every day.”

Martin Rose
Network Service Operator, Scottish Water

George, who joined the organisation through a modern apprentice programme – the Youth Training Scheme – in 1991 at 16 years old, has witnessed firsthand the significant changes Scottish Water has embraced throughout his career.

He said: “Back in the day, we relied on pagers, walkie-talkies, and even faxes to keep things running. Before mobile phones, emergency jobs would come through on my home landline, and we got given our workload for the day on a piece of paper.” 

Today, thanks to improved digital systems, the team can each attend to around six jobs per day - from helping customers with water quality issues to locating infrastructure in the street. 

Among the team is Martin Rose, who brings an incredible four decades of experience to Scottish Water. Martin has played many key roles in major incidents from the ‘Beast from the East’ snowstorms, where temperatures barely rose above 1 degree for months, to the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.  

One of his earliest memories is the diesel spill at Burncrooks Water Treatment Works in the North of Glasgow in 1997. 

The resilience and dedication of the team during such trying times highlight their commitment to ensuring safe, reliable water supply no matter the circumstances. 

Martin spoke about the motivational factors that kept him going all these years. “Scottish Water is like a game of snooker - you never get the same shot twice” he said. “There’s always something different every day.” 

As Scottish Water continues to invest in its services, the experience and knowledge of long-serving colleagues proves to be an invaluable asset. Their wealth of knowledge not only guarantees the continued delivery of essential services today but also helps guide the improvements that will benefit customers for years to come. 

Kenny, who has devoted 36 years to the company and risen to many challenges, reflects on what truly drives him. He said: “Seeing the relief on a customer’s face when I’ve fixed their problem is what keeps me going. 

“Their genuine gratitude touches me every time and reminds me that my work truly makes a difference. Going above and beyond where possible gives me real satisfaction.” 

Each year, Scottish Water welcomes an average of 30 Modern Apprentices, and its water industry apprentices are trained in-house by a dedicated Skills Academy team before gaining hands-on experience alongside frontline operatives. 

Stephen has supported a number of apprentices in his 32 years at Scottish Water, he said: “You learn to have a good understanding of people and make some friends for life in this job”. He gives advice to the future generation of workers: “You only get out what you put in, so work hard and you will be rewarded.” 

Scottish Water’s Chief Operating Officer, Peter Farrer, said: “It’s fantastic to see such dedication and commitment from our frontline colleagues, many of whom have devoted their entire careers to serving Scotland’s communities. 

“Their knowledge and experience have been built up over decades and are now helping to shape the next generation of workers who will continue to deliver for customers across Scotland.”