Cornwall’s ongoing issue with a lack of facilities able to treat septic waste could be replicated in other parts of the UK, according to one leading equipment manufacturer.
With South West Water turning septage tankers away from its treatment works during what have now become prolonged periods of heavy rainfall, some residents have been unable to flush their toilets because their septic tanks are full.
Craig Webb from SAVECO, who provide systems for the rapid processing of septage, commented: “I can understand the Environment Agency’s view that disposal companies should invest more in storage and treatment facilities, but water companies can do likewise.”
Webb pointed to the recent investment made by Pellows (the longest established (1964) liquid waste disposal contractor in Cornwall) in SAVECO’s ‘Beast’. A typical 4.5m3 tanker (1,000 gallons) that used to take over 20 minutes to empty, can now get back out on the road to collect more liquid waste after less than three minutes discharge time.
‘Missing out on an opportunity’
“With an estimated 1.5M domestic septic tank owners in the UK’s fast-growing...
Septage crisis to spread?
