Top 5 reasons your sewage treatment plant needs servicing

If your drainage is working correctly, you need not give it a second thought. That’s exactly as it should be. Neglect it altogether, however, and your drainage will certainly become a talking point. So how do you know if you need your sewage treatment plant servicing?

Regular maintenance is essential for sewage treatment plants. It not only ensures your system operates efficiently but also safeguards manufacturer warranties and extends the system’s lifespan, resulting in significant cost savings. Here’s our list of the top five reasons your plant may be due a service.

1. You receive a call or email from the WCI Service Co-ordinator to book in your next service.

In theory, if you are under a service contract with a reputable Wastewater Engineering Company that runs a team of British Water Accredited Service Engineers (like WCI), you will be contacted to book in your next service a few weeks before it is due.

As we request to service a sewage treatment plant before it is emptied, not only will the engineer service your system, but they will measure the sludges within the plant and advise if the system is due an empty. You don’t have to remember when the system requires servicing or emptying!

2. Your electrics have tripped, and it has been traced back to your sewage treatment plant.

You’ve had your electrician around and by trial and error (and unplugging a million appliances) you now know it is your sewage treatment plant that is tripping your electrics.

Depending on the make and model of your system the culprit could be an air blower, a pump, a panel, a float, a junction box or a motor. Best practice is to isolate the system and contact WCI. If the system has a pumped discharge, you may well need to arrange an emergency empty to ensure you have continuation of drainage until a Service Engineer attends.

3. The system is making a different noise, is smelling or backing up.

• The hum that is generated by the air blower or the swoosh as the treated effluent hits the underside of the system lid has stopped or changed in pitch. You may even have an alarm sounding! This could all point to the fact that your system is not operating. Without treatment a sewage treatment plant acts as a glorified septic tank and could be polluting a watercourse.
• Now you are out in the garden more often you are aware that the area around your sewage treatment plant is smelly, which is not typical. When a plant starts to smell unexpectedly there could be an issue with its operation and therefore its treatment.
• You have noticed that your toilets are slow to drain, there is standing water in your drains or flowing out of your manhole covers. This may indicate a problem with the discharge from your sewage treatment plant (or a blockage). The system will need to be emptied, inspected and serviced to repair any issues.

4. You are looking to sell your property.

You have put your property on the market and your estate agent has asked if your private foul drainage system has been serviced and emptied regularly and is compliant. The prospective purchaser’s solicitor has sent 4 pages of questions through about the system and 90% you can’t complete.

Whilst you turn out the paperwork you know you have about the system, ring WCI and book a service to reassure the new owners the system is fully operational and treating to a high standard. WCI also undertakes Compliance Surveys should you require one!

5. You had your system emptied and the emptier reported something ‘doesn’t look right’.

Your lovely desludger has come to empty your system as he/ she does every year but they have reported that there is a problem. They have suggested you call WCI and get a Service Engineer to site to diagnose the fault.

Whatever the reason is, now you know your sewage treatment plant needs servicing, please ring WCI now. Speak to Sara our lovely Service Co-ordinator and book in a Service Visit 01984 623404 ext 2 or email service@wci.co.uk.