FujiClean CEN Compact Sewage Treatment Plant Installation on a Steep, Rock-Bound Site

Overview

The client’s attempt to sell their home had stalled: the property’s existing septic tank was defective, and a compliant replacement was a condition of sale. The site’s extremely difficult access and heavily sloping ground meant the client had been unable to find a contractor willing to take the project on, leaving the sale in limbo.

WCI was brought in to design and deliver a compliant foul drainage solution that would allow the sale to proceed – on a site that had already defeated other attempts to resolve it.

The Challenge

This was a domestic property, but the ground conditions made it a genuinely difficult engineering problem:

• Limestone rock across the site, making excavation slow, difficult, and expensive
• Heavily sloping ground, with no straightforward level area for a conventional installation
• Extremely restricted access, ruling out large plant and standard delivery vehicles

Individually, any one of these factors would complicate a standard installation. Together, they explain why previous attempts to find a contractor for the job had been unsuccessful.

The WCI Solution

Compact Treatment Plant Specification – WCI specified a FujiClean CEN compact sewage treatment plant – a system whose small footprint made it well suited to a constrained, rock-bound site where excavation needed to be kept to an absolute minimum.

Built into the Terracing – Rather than attempting to level or clear the sloping site, the plant was installed built into the existing terracing. This design decision limited excavation into the limestone rock significantly, avoiding the extensive – and disproportionately costly – groundworks that a conventional flat installation would have required.

Percolation Testing and Drainage Field Design – Full percolation testing was carried out on site to prove the drainage field design in accordance with BS6297:2007+A1:2008, ensuring the solution would be fully compliant and capable of handling the site’s wastewater loading over the long term.

Managing Restricted Access – With standard delivery and plant access not possible, WCI managed all materials, equipment, and spoil in and out of the site using small works vehicles throughout the project – a logistical challenge that ran in parallel with the technical design work.

The Outcome

WCI delivered a fully compliant foul drainage system on a site that had previously proven too difficult for other contractors to take on. The completed installation resolved the client’s defective septic tank issue and cleared the way for the property sale to proceed.

“We’d had contractor after contractor tell us our project was too difficult. WCI didn’t just find a way to do it, they did it properly, with barely any disruption. Couldn’t be happier with the result!”

– Wendy Gage, Homeowner

This project is a good illustration of WCI’s ability to find practical, compliant solutions on sites that others have walked away from – combining the right system specification with the logistical planning needed to actually get it installed.

Beyond Installation:

Following completion of the works, Wendy took out a WCI Service Plan for her new treatment plant – a natural next step once a system like this is installed, giving homeowners the confidence that it will continue to perform and meet its permit conditions year after year.

What Happens If You Sell Your Home?

A WCI Service Plan is designed to move with the property, not just the person. If a client with an active plan later sells, WCI writes directly to the new owners with a letter of introduction, inviting them to continue the plan. There’s no upfront cost to take it on — clients are simply invoiced after each annual site visit has taken place.

Already have a treatment plant, pumping station, or drainage system on your property?

Ask WCI about setting up a Service Plan, and if you’re buying a home with one already in place, you may be able to pick up right where the previous owner left off.