Hire Fleet Expands as Sludge Rules Change

Manufacturers in the UK food and beverage sector, along with their waste management partners, are having to reconsider wastewater treatment and liquid sludge tankering operations. Their options for sludge disposal have reduced since the seasonal window for land-spreading has tightened.

“The food and beverage sector produces high volumes of wastewater and regulatory changes mean the routes to disposal are closing down,” said Simon Kimber, sales and marketing director, WPL. “This can mean a wholesale change in the way those waste streams are managed.”

Taking solids and fats, oils and grease (FOG) out of wastewater streams can be a big win for food and beverage companies, not only helping reduce volumes of tankered sludge, but producing higher quality effluent for disposal to mains sewerage. In some circumstances FOG can be reclaimed for use as energy feedstock in anaerobic digestion (AD), which can even generate revenue in a circular economy of resources.

WCS Environmental Engineering’s investment includes dewatering screw presses, which can offer immediate enhancement to onsite wastewater treatment and help ready

FOG for AD. Biological treatment assets, dissolved air flotation (DAF) systems and microscreens have also been added to the company’s hire fleet and will also assist companies in complying with trade effluent discharge consents.

Kimber said, “Water companies are pursuing site inspections and potential breaches of trade effluent consents more rigorously. Where companies are struggling to meet their sewerage discharge permit, our hire fleet can be deployed rapidly to mitigate the risk of financial penalties and the reputational damage a court case might invite.

“One of the many reasons companies welcome the option to hire wastewater treatment equipment is that it brings sites into compliance while incurring no capital risk. This means longer term investment decisions can be given the consideration they deserve.”

Tim Gaston, managing director, WCS Environmental Engineering which is part of the WCS Group, said: “Water utilities and industrial companies are under increasing public scrutiny around their environmental impact and performance. Tightening legislation and the potential risk to corporate reputation means all stakeholders have to act.

“This significant investment in new hire equipment, combined with the expertise within the team, drawn from both Atana and WPL, means we can respond rapidly to our clients’ sludge management challenges, however urgent they may be.”