Green sewage treatment system delivers at Willsbridge Mill
As an older listed building, Willsbridge Mill is not directly connected to mains drains. Usually, wastewater from a building directly enters the mains drains where it flows to pumping stations and onto treatment facilities. However, the mill was relying on a packaged pumping station buried underground. As wastewater entered a chamber, the system intermittently pumped the sewage 80 metres uphill so it could enter the mains drain outlet. When the pump failed, it was clear that a radical new alternative was required.
Located in a chamber underground, carrying out continued maintenance on the pump was time consuming and costly due to repetitive blockages. This sometimes resulted in unpleasant smells, which at a tourist hot spot like Willsbridge Mill, is not ideal. Furthermore, the substantial cost of having to empty the chamber of wastewater on a regular basis was becoming unsustainable for facility managers. To solve the issue, the local council approached Rotamec, a leading electromechanical service provider to the engineering sector, to propose a new treatment system.
Paul Pearce, Sales Director at Rotamec, carried out a site inspection to determine the best course of action: “The old pumping station consisted of a single-phase 230 volt powered submersible pump. The downside with these installations is not only reliability issues, but the energy consumption to pump the wastewater to the drains. These maintenance and operational issues translate to greatly increased costs – before we even consider emptying the tank regularly when the pump fails.
“A new system was needed. After assessing the visitor numbers at the site and its geography, I was convinced that a sewage treatment plant that harnessed the anaerobic digestive process would be an optimal solution.”
The system Paul proposed to the council removed the need for a pump altogether. Instead, sewage flows into an underground tank, where digestion by bacteria occurs. A low voltage air blower inside the tank circulates air around the clock to promote the growth of this bacteria and neutralise harmful substances in the sewage. Once digestion is completed after a period of weeks, the now treated water is then gravity fed back into the water table.
“These sewage treatment systems feature minimal moving parts, which greatly enhances reliability and reduces maintenance requirements. Typically, an annual inspection will suffice, compared to every few months with a pumping station. As the only powered aspect of the system is the low voltage air compressor, power consumption is also great reduced. These both provide substantial cost savings in operation. Furthermore, the end product is expelled water that is environmentally safe. We worked with the Environment Agency to ensure this. We built the system to adhere to the latest 2020 General Binding Rules regarding septic tanks. The result is a system that combines environmental friendliness and cost-effectiveness.”
With everything approved, Rotamec specified the appropriate equipment to build the system. Managing the entire project as a civil contractor, Rotamec teams then removed the old pumping station and installed the new sewage treatment system. This included all the necessary pipework, rediverting sewage to the new system and installing electrical connections for the fan. Once complete, the site was quickly cleared and ready for tourists. The risk of unwanted smells had been successfully eliminated.
“We are not just a specialist in motor rewinds and repairs, our capability runs deeper than that,” Paul continues, “we have a capable team who can tackle interesting applications and are familiar with the requirements of local councils and the function of these sewage treatment systems. Through close communication, we were able to deliver a system that works well, while meeting both the operational requirements of the council and the natural environment of the valley.”
About Rotamec
Rotamec is a turnkey stock, supply, service and repair provider for a wide range of engineered products from leading brands. Operating UK facilities in Cheddar, South Wales, Exeter and Redditch, the business provides a 24/7, 365 days a year service to promote customer uptime by delivering cost effective engineering solutions.
Services offered include repair, refurbishment and rewind of AC and DC electric motors plus supply of motors, gearboxes, pumps, bearings and transmission components from leading brands. Site services are another area of expertise, with dedicated service teams on standby to supply and install all types of electrical and mechanical rotational equipment. Operatives undertake in-house training provided by leading industry manufacturers.
Rotamec was founded in May 2000, growing from a rewind and repair company to providing power transmission solutions in 2003. A fast, responsive service and access to nationwide stocks allows customers to control maintenance costs and ensure time efficiency.