RA Dalton Success Stories

Initial enquiry phase

In the early months of 2017 our contracts manager Ian Murray was in contact with a gentleman who owned a remote but very popular pub in the southern Lake District, in light of the 2020 regulations he was unsure as to whether the properties’ sewage setup was within compliance.

Unfortunately this was not the case as the existing Septic tank was found to be discharging to a nearby watercourse, the tank had been appropriately emptied as per the required frequency however unfortunately there was not sufficient land to install a soakaway.

During the site visit once the levels were determined and all site restrictions were assessed we concluded that the best course of action would be to install a package treatment plant suitable to handle the daily flows and loads of the business (especially in the summer months) and subject to the appropriate EA approval the treated effluent would discharge to the adjacent watercourse.

Thankfully as the existing inlet drainage was in good working order the proposed new location for the treatment plant was alongside the existing enabling us to divert from the old to the new whilst minimising unnecessary costs.

Design and Specification

The treatment plant that Ian recommended for this site in particular was a Premier Tech Aqua Conder CSAF100N20 package sewage treatment plant, this system is a sizeable bit of kit with the overall length being in excess of 6m and diameter of 2.5m.

The Premier Tech Aqua CSAF system has a wide range of commercial applications and is suitable for sites where the population is over 25 or the daily flows and loads are upwards of 6m3 per day. The system also comes with options for IPS, deeper invert levels and is able to be adapted for nitrification if your permit required so.

The CSAF is broken down into three chambers within the tank, the primary settlement chamber, and biological treatment zone (Biozone) and the final settlement chamber.

All design and specification should be done by an experienced and competent body to ensure that the treatment plant installed is suitable for the application.

Progression

In December 2017 discussions had once again resumed as the necessary EA application was now in place to allow a new treatment plant to be installed to discharge to the watercourse.

At this point, after further discussions and assessment of the site the need for a grease trap was also identified to handle any of the fats, oils and grease (FOG) from the restaurant. Appropriate grease management is essential to ensure that any package treatment plant functions as designed.

Congealed FOG can cause damage to both the mechanical elements of the tank, thickening the sludge and not to mention causing difficult blockages in the pipework.

At this stage discussions were also underway with how the customer required the site to be finished off and determined that due to the location that the new system was going to be installed in that a concrete finish with suitable heavy duty lids would be most appropriate just in case farm machinery was in the near vicinity.

Start on Site

Due to the nature of the location access was limited, the narrow and twisty country roads posed some logistical issues especially due to the nature of the machinery required to install the tank. However with a good working relationship with a local hire firm we were able to co-ordinate deliveries for both the 13 ton Excavator and 6 ton dumper by delivery on a tractor.

When we carry out any job our utmost priority is the health and safety of both our engineers and the general public therefore in adherence to the Risk Assessments and Method Statements that our site team are provided with all precautions are carried out to make site as safe as possible.

Whilst the larger excavation was open and especially whilst the heavy machinery was in operation the working area was surround in Heras safety fencing.

The new sewage treatment plant was encased and covered in a full concrete surround with D400 covers over the access turrets. The job was completed to a machine finish allowing the customer to re-seed where the excavators had been in operation.

In total there was approximately 36m of concrete used in the entire job which only further proves the scale of the monumental tank we installed, (especially considering a small 6 pop domestic tank install only takes between 4 and 6 metres depending on the invert depth).

The final stage of the installation process

Once all the installation works are complete the R A Dalton Servicing team then take the reins to fully commission the new sewage treatment plant, this stage allows one of our British water trained engineers to check all the mechanical elements of the system.

Whilst carrying out this essential commissioning visit it was identified that the overload on site was faulty, this was replaced by our onsite engineer and claimed by ourselves under warranty on behalf of the customer.

All of the tanks we install are covered by the manufacturer’s warranty for the mechanical elements and we will guarantee our workmanship providing the system is appropriately maintained and emptied as per the manufacturer’s guidelines.

For this site in particular the new system was installed and the grass around the area seeded in plenty of time for the summer season and the grass to flourish.