A £1.2 million sludge treatment centre has opened in Botley to boost wastewater capacity in Hampshire for over 8,000 off-mains households every year.
Waste management specialist CSG has commissioned and is managing the plant, which also produces enhanced soil fertiliser as a by-product to boost food production in the region.
The treatment plant will accept domestic wastewater from thousands of households, hotels and holiday parks in Hampshire and beyond, which are not connected to the mains and instead use septic tanks or cesspits.
Septic tank owners in other regions of the UK have experienced significant problems recently after water companies were unable to take their wastewater due to capacity issues.
This has left some people scared to use toilets and washing facilities for fear of overflow and led to waste haulage companies travelling for hundreds of miles to find an alternative drop-off.
Steve Hicks, CSG Operations Director, said the Botley site would help ensure Hampshire does not face the same problems in the years to come.
He said: “We are delighted that our Botley treatment plant is fully operational following an investment of more than £1 million.
“As a major operator dealing with 30,000 off-mains drainage households across the UK, we are fully aware of the septic tank crisis that continues to blight parts of the country. In Cornwall, for example, we have seen commercial waste contractors banned from using treatment works during wet weather. This has huge implications for the many people who live off-mains, some of which have been forced to leave their homes as they can’t use their toilets.
“Facilities such as this in Botley are required to ease the problem. This plant has large capacity and will make a significant difference.”
Using the latest centrifuge technologies to separate wastewater from solids, the sewage received at the plant will be made into a sanitised ‘cake’ which can be used in agriculture as an enhanced soil conditional and fertiliser.
The ‘cake’ will be of an exceptionally high quality as there is no industrial waste going through the plant. Accredited to BAS standards, this ‘cake’ is used to grow food on Red Tractor farms, which can then be sold into supermarkets.
Steve added: “This highly effective and sustainable fertiliser is a valuable resource, reducing dependence on imported fertiliser and maintaining the integrity and quality of our soils.”
The Botley site is built to the latest specifications and is fully licensed and permitted by the Environment Agency.
In England and Wales, it is estimated that between two and three hundred thousand houses use septic tanks to dispose of their sewage, whilst the rest are connected to the mains sewer.
