How often should your sewage treatment plant be serviced?

02 August 2022 by CSG

The EA says package sewage treatment plants need servicing every year. But why is it so important?

Package sewage treatment plants (such as Klargesters) support the growth of aerobic bacteria. These help to ‘treat’ your wastewater.

The bacteria break down pollutants in your wastewater. This leaves a clean ‘effluent’ to discharge back into your local environment.

When your plant discharges a clean effluent, you’re helping to maintain balance in your local ecosystem.

If the mechanical and electrical parts in your plant fail, the bacteria in your plant can begin to die. If this happens it’s very likely your effluent will contain more pollution.

This could harm your local environment by spoiling the habitat of local plants and wildlife. In extreme cases it can create a risk to public health.

What does the Environment Agency say?

The EA states in its General Binding Rules that you should have your system serviced every year.  Or at a frequency in line with the manufacturer’s instructions. 

This servicing should be done by a competent person. British Water accredited engineers are trained to the correct standard. All CSG service engineers are British Water accredited.

They will ensure the aeration system or rotating parts in your plant are working. This will mean that the bacteria your plant supports can stay alive and work efficiently to treat your sewage.

Servicing of mechanical and electrical parts reduces the likelihood of breakdown. So regular servicing can save you money in the long run too!

An engineer will also check sludge and biomass concentrations, recommending an empty if it’s getting too high.

Remember, the EA has the authority to carry out discharge checks on any private sewage system. The first thing they’ll ask if it’s not working properly? When was the last service!

So… when was the last time you had your plant serviced?

If it’s been over a year, we’d recommend you book a service soon to make sure it continues to work properly.

The EA says you should have your tank serviced frequently and it can seem like another thing on your to do list.

That said, it’ll likely save money in the long run by reducing the risk of expensive and unwelcome callout fees when something does go wrong.

And you’ll get the peace of mind of knowing that your system is compliant.

Put simply, regularly servicing your sewage treatment plant is a kind thing to do.

Both for your environment and your pocket!

Get a servicing quote from CSG today!