Member Article

Sometimes Change is what we need

A lot of customers initially come to us with the preference of sticking to what they know and in the case of a failing septic tank their inclination would be replacing a like for like. Often the concept of having a Sewage treatment plant installed in place of a septic tank can appear daunting with mechanical elements coming into play, however with regular maintenance and emptying the sewage treatment plants can provide an easy and environmentally friendly option to deal with raw effluent. It is quite common that a site necessitates that a sewage treatment system is installed as a replacement for a septic tanks, we often find that some of the older tanks were installed prior to EA Policy changes.

At a site in Kidderminster one customer was hoping to replace their failing septic tank with the up to date equivalent however upon initial visual inspection it was unlikely for this to be possible. Later percolation tests confirmed that the ground did not have the porosity required for a septic tank to run to soakaway as the soil was found to have a high clay content.

Therefore we recommended that we installed a Conder 6 population plant that was to discharge directly to the nearby ditch, this was only possible as the treatment vessel offered a high standard of final effluent quality. The Conder ASP06 boasts an effluent quality of 20mg/l BOD, 30mg/l SS and 20mg/l NH3* which complies with the Environment Agency’s requirements for the above site. The ASP plant has no moving elements within the tank which allows for quiet operation, the only audible section to the tank would be Blower. The treatment process for the ASP systems is simple yet effective; the tank is divided into a central bio-zone and an outer settlement sector with a blower is installed near the vessel.

The blower supplies aeration to the unit, the oxygen from the air provided then begins the treatment process. This occurs as the oxygen allows the bacteria in the effluent to biodegrade and break down organic matter containing carbon to form carbon dioxide and water. The process is repeated with the remaining solids being exposed to more oxygen and the final treated effluent is then able to discharge through the outlet pipe (either to soakaway or discharging to a ditch).

These systems will still require regular servicing every 12 months and emptying at least every 12/18 months to assure they are working as desired.

If you are interested in any more information on the installation of Sewage treatment system in lieu of a septic tank why not give us a call on 01388 537030.

*The main three main elements that the EA stipulates regulations on is Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Suspended Solids and Ammonia content.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Joanna Peart .