As the nights draw in and the weather turns colder the WCI Service Team is on hand to offer some helpful winter maintenance tips for your sewage treatment plant.
What are the increased risks to your system in winter?
Flooding
We are all aware that the UK is now subject to warmer, wetter and stormier weather and the risk of flooding has increased. Flooding of a system isn’t just limited to the typical overland flooding we see when a watercourse breaks its banks which enters manhole lids and prevents the correct performance of drainage fields. There’s also excess water entering sewage treatment plants via other methods:
- Ground water ingress via older pipes and manhole cross connections.
- Rainwater pipes incorrectly connected into the sewage pipework or
- Back filling of systems when a water level rises above the gravity discharge pipe.
Checking your drains when it is raining or carrying out some simple dye testing can confirm ingress and cross connections into your sewage treatment plant. A weekly check on surrounding water course levels and the area around your system can ensure you spot a problem early.
The Cold
Whilst we all can confirm the UK winters are definitely wetter; I think we may disagree on whether they are colder BUT the mercury can drop below zero on occasion. Whilst a well-used sewage treatment will keep most internal, well used underground pipes running, unprotected pipes especially on dosing devices or pumped rising mains, can freeze and can cause equipment failure.
Check your exposed pipes and add insulation. Some of our client’s mulch on top of manhole covers and wrap up their air blower kiosks (allowing for ventilation!) when freezing problems have occurred in the past.
Overloading
Most of us will be looking forward to spending time with family and friends over the holiday period. Just remember that your system will be used to receiving a certain quantity of sewage day in day out and whilst your system may be designed to receive more, it will take some time for the bacteria to increase in number to effectively treat that extra incoming flow.
Try not to empty your system too close to Christmas so there is an established healthy bacterial colony present in your sewage treatment plant ready to multiply for your guests.
And ensure your guests know you are on a private drainage system aka a sewage treatment plant and only the three P’s should enter the drains – pee, paper and poo. Don’t let an errant cotton ear bud or string of floss cause pump havoc this festive season.
Fats, Oils & Grease (FOGs)
Christmas means roasts with all the trimmings and roasts mean FOGs – fats, oils and grease – production. Whether you are a meat lover, veggie or vegan, cooking on an often-industrial Christmas scale can produce a large amount of FOGs.
Prevent FOGs entering the drainage system by pouring them off into a separate container and wiping out pots, pans and trays with kitchen roll and binning it before washing up. Used cooking oil can be taken to most Council recycling facilities to be disposed of!
Underloading
Some sewage treatment plants do have an inbuilt holiday mode. This mode allows the system to run with less flow for short periods of time up to two months. If, however, you are chasing the sun and are away from home for more than two months we would recommend decommissioning the system.
Decommissioning is usually undertaken by an experienced Service Engineer. The system is emptied and refilled (most manufacturers request this for structural integrity of the tank) and then switched off. When you’re back the same engineer will recommission your system, set the control panel and get the system back up and working.
Plan ahead and book in that Service Engineers visit should it be required!
Electrical Power Outages
If you have an electrical sewage treatment plant, electricity will be required to run air blowers, pumps, control panels and motors. These items are responsible for ensuring your sewage is treated and released into the environment ensuring continued drainage.
Unplanned power cuts are a possibility every winter as these are often caused by unforeseen events such as extreme weather.
Check on your system weekly, make it part of your weekend routine. If your system is not making the usual rotating or blower sound, or if any manhole covers are overflowing or your toilet is gurgling and slower to drain – there could well be a problem.
If a problem should arise, do some due diligence and check your electrics. Ensure there are no tripped breakers in your consumer unit/ fuse board. If there are, reset them and keep an eye out for any further tripping. This could be an indicator of a problem brewing. Should the tripping continue on the breaker that serves your sewage treatment plant – please call WCI.
Poor Treatment
Cold winter-like conditions take a toll on the bacterial colony within your sewage treatment plant. A temperature drop below 10-12 degrees Celsius can reduce or cease the bacteria’s activity which in turn could lead to poor treatment and possible problems.
Should a particularly cold spell of weather be predicted consider insulating your system. This could be as simple as temporarily mulching over the main lid of the tank!
Preventing badly timed, costly breakdowns
Whilst the WCI Service Team will be on hand should your system require maintenance over the Christmas period, emergency emptying, a lack of drainage and call out fees are all things we would rather not factor into the Christmas budget.
WCI would recommend checking that your sewage treatment plant and or pumping station has been serviced recently and is operating normally. If you are having issues or have just failed to book in that service, there is still time to book a visit before Christmas!
Wildlife
Wildlife, I hear you question! Systems that operate a motor are often warmer than the surrounding areas. We often find snakes, rats, mice and ant hills in air blower housings. Care needs to be taken to ensure such residents are not obstructing the air flow into the blower, overheating the blower or making a meal of the electrics!
Do check your system regularly to make sure there are no unwelcome lodgers.
Out of sight, out of mind.
As the weather takes a turn, most of us will turn to warm inside-based activities and will spend less time in the garden and therefore won’t have visibility of the sewage treatment plant.
A weekly check to ensure the system is still operational, there are no alarm lights flashing or unusual noises is highly recommended. Issues caught early are more likely to result in less damage to the plant and facilitate a quick resolution.
In conclusion be nice to your sewage treatment plant and check on it regularly throughout winter. Book a service if one has been missed, educate visiting guests about the three Ps and continue to be careful what goes down the drains. Unfortunately, no one can predict sewage treatment plant emergencies and so if you need a service engineer – call us! Let us assist you with this most ‘unwanted’ Christmas gift!
