Sector
Infrastructure
Cumberland, UK
Location
Discharge Point
Watercourse
Flow Rate
Smallest up to 50m3/hr, largest up to 100m3/hr
Effluent Type
Fine Silt and Clay
The Background
Siltbuster’s specialists provided ongoing support for a significant infrastructure project in Northern England. The scheme included the creation of a major new link road, which provided vital infrastructure to relieve congestion in the region and enabled the delivery of a major new development of homes and community facilities.
The route included bridges over two main railway lines and two rivers, a network of footways and cycleways, and an extensive programme of landscaping and environmental mitigation.
Siltbuster supported the project as it progressed, installing five systems to treat surface water runoff generated during construction work to create the road.
The Challenge
The client had experimented with ‘passive measures’ for water treatment, but the 2023 autumn and winter rains exposed their limitations. The local geology, featuring colloidal clay resistant to settling by gravity alone, posed a challenge. At times, rainwater running off some of the site was also alkaline, posing an increased risk to fish and other organisms in local watercourses.
Siltbuster’s team visited the site and found the solution in place was inadequate, using fibrous mats and other measures in an attempt to separate out the particles.
The Solution
Siltbuster’s team took a sample from the site to fully understand the geology of the site, so that a solution could be developed that was specific to the circumstances.
The modular equipment was assembled at Siltbuster’s Monmouth headquarters so it could be delivered to site and installed as a ‘plug and play’ solution.
Lagoons were created to contain run-off water from the site. These captured peak stormwater flows, allowing deployment of a smaller water treatment system, which operated at full capacity for a longer period of time and was far more efficient than a larger system running at less than its full potential.
Wastewater was pumped up from the lagoon into the Siltbuster system and the flow was measured so that the system switched on and operated when needed, introducing a predetermined, optimised concentration of coagulant and flocculant into each litre of water in a Siltbuster MT30 mix tank.
The coagulant bound tiny particles together and the flocculant aided further bonding to form bigger clumps which gained sufficient mass to rapidly settle out of suspension through gravity alone.
Wastewater flowed by gravity from the tank into two HB50R clarifiers arranged in parallel, with the flow split equally between the two. The solids sank and were retained in the bottom of the clarifiers, forming a slurry for pumping out on an automatically timed schedule.
The system released treated, visually clear water into a watercourse; an activity regulated by an Environmental Permit issued by the Environment Agency.
“The Siltbuster kit is fantastic. It was installed without fuss, in a small footprint, and has proved highly effective for its purpose – working efficiently, protecting the local environment and ensuring compliance. Siltbuster’s teams are always on hand when needed; I know they’ll continue to support the project as it progresses.”
The Outcome
The systems were successfully operated for several months, and Siltbuster provided support throughout the project, adding similar installations along the link road as needed.
The Siltbuster solution proved to have several advantages over the system previously in place, including:
Minimum installation time: Modular solutions minimised time and disruption for each deployment.
Effectiveness in challenging conditions: Capable of handling up to 100m³/hr flow rate, the system efficiently dealt with colloidal clay even in adverse weather conditions.
Clear water output: By retaining colloidal clay, visually clear water was returned to the environment.
All-season reliability: Equipped with frost-resistant features and heated storage for reagents and electrical controls, the system could withstand the elements throughout the year.
Smart automation: From timed hopper desludging to automated pH correction, the system streamlined operations for hassle-free performance.