Robust pumping system avoids lockdown downtime
19 Apr 2021
WPL’s wastewater treatment technology, selected to withstand seasonal variations in flow, has proven its flexibility during lockdown...
A WPL packaged treatment plant was installed at Home Farm Holiday Centre in Somerset’s Quantock Hills in November 2015.
Five years on, the custom system continues to meet all environmental and operational requirements, providing high standards of treatment during high and low season. Its reliability has given site owners particular reassurance during a challenging 2020, when Covid-19-enforced lockdowns led to sudden and sharp changes in visitor numbers.
Proprietor of Home Farm Holiday Centre Louise Nethercott said: “We are very happy with the WPL system. It performs well, is simple to maintain and has passed all the environmental tests and checks.
“The nature of our business means we do have big fluctuations in visitor numbers, even more so this year because of Covid-19, and it has continued to provide reliable treatment, with no odour issues. We would certainly continue to recommend WPL technology to other businesses.”
Managing lockdowns
On 26 March 2020, just as it would normally have been welcoming high numbers of spring tourists, the family-run business had to close its doors due to the first blanket lockdown in England, .
Occupation of the centre’s 234 static caravans dropped to 10, which were occupied by staff and those private owners who were unable to return to their main residence.
More than three months later, on 4 July 2020, the first easing of lockdown restrictions enabled the site to reopen. Approximately 125 caravans quickly became occupied, with the rest filling up gradually over the month.
It remained busy until 7 November, when the second lockdown in England forced it to temporarily close its doors again, this time for four weeks, during which only six units remained occupied.
Throughout all the lockdown periods, WPL’s system, which includes two below-ground WPL HiPAF® treatment units, remained in operation, adjusting to the dips and peaks in wastewater volumes, as it would be expected to do during high and low season.
The adaptability of WPL’s HiPAF system allows it to treat down to 10% of the site’s capacity. At Home Farm, this is achieved through a flow-splitting device, which separates the effluent into two streams, allowing the system to switch between the two HiPAF systems during quiet periods or to use both at once, when flows increase.
The reliability of WPL’s HiPAF process, proven in the five years since installation, gave the site owners reassurance that the system would continue to comply with strict Environment Agency regulations concerning the quality of treated effluent discharged from the site.
Technical manager at WPL Dominic Hamblin, said the technology’s resilient process effectively manages seasonal variations in occupancy levels.
“Many of our clients have had an uncertain 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, with significant fluctuations in visitor numbers. WPL’s technology is designed to be flexible and agile and, if maintained and managed correctly, can continue to operate within compliance regardless of footfall,” he added.
The 2015 project led by local contractor and service provider WCI installed two HiPAF units to work in conjunction with two primary tanks. WPL supplied a control kiosk in glass-reinforced plastic, a flow-splitter chamber and two cylindrical final settlement tanks offering 30 days sludge storage at full capacity. The system was designed to meet requirements for 1,000 population equivalent, treating up to 99m3/day flow.
