Member Article

A couple of happy campers in Carnforth

Over recent years we have had a variety of different customers come to us for installations and maintenance on their sewage treatment systems; within this an ever increasing amount of caravan parks are seeking assistance in planning and installing a suitable form of waste disposal for their site. On this site in particular we suggested that the best course of action was to install a 27,000 litre horizontal pump tank complete with an integral sump pump which was specially chosen to provide 24 hour storage capability and sufficient capacity to cover short term power outage - this was a necessity to comply with the requirements outlined by building regulations.

The installation was intended to take place on the line of the existing inlet pipework before the old Septic tank, the raw effluent was then to be pumped across the adjacent field, under the boundary wall and connect to the nearest manhole, the most suitable of which was situated in the road. In total over 300 metres of 90mm SDR17 MDPE rising main was installed on this site to ensure the wastewater reached the desired destination. Due to the nature of the connection we were required to work in the roadway which meant that it was vital that the correct licences (Section 50 licence) were in place before the works commenced.

Our installation team were specifically selected on this occasion as it was mandatory that they held the relevant qualifications to carry out the pipework installation in the road, both members of the team had completed the appropriate New Roads and Street Works Act course (NRSWA Units 201, 210-214 & 216). Whilst a Section 50 licence is in place there are a number of requirements that must be adhered to; this includes the provision of traffic lights, cones and signs to correctly guide any road users around the excavation and to warn them that there are men at work.

The guys on site must also be wearing the appropriate PPE clothing at all times, ensuring they are visible and protected. Prior to the commencement of work a plan of signage was drawn up indicating where we would be required to place each sign. A number of utility maps were requested such as electrical connections, water mains, gas and BT lines; it was crucial that we took precaution when working in the same location as any pre-existing utilities as cutting one of the lines could cause obstruction to services and ultimately potential risk to life. The vessel we installed was a specifically designed Conder system which was spanning the extensive size of 5.95m x 4.56m x 2.5m, the 27,000 litre vessel required a sump pump to ensure the outlet reached the manhole in the roadway. As the intended destination was the mains sewer we were also required to apply for a Section 106 licence, once we had received this authorisation the outlet from the system was not required to go to soakaway or treated prior to discharging to watercourse.

After the installation was complete we recommended that regular maintenance was carried out to ensure that the pump continued to work as designed. With annual servicing from an experienced maintenance engineer the appropriate durations for desludging (emptying) could easily be advised. Here at R A Dalton we offer servicing contracts which do not necessitate you to sign any binding agreements; we simply input your details onto our database at the recommended intervals and we will contact you when the service is due to arrange a convenient date.

If you would like any more information on the services we provide why not give us a call on 01388 537030.

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