What happens if a Sewage Treatment Plant is not serviced?
The servicing of a sewage treatment plant might seem like an unnecessary cost. But what are the consequences of not doing it?
The regular maintenance and servicing of your sewage treatment plant is, in fact, essential to the efficiency and prevention of environmental and health risks. By failing to provide routine maintenance, there may be severe consequences, costing you far more in the long run.
Why Regular Sewage Treatment Plant Servicing is Important
Sewage treatment facilities have been designed to manage and handle all wastewater and sewage, converting this wastewater into treated effluent through physical, chemical, and biological processes before releasing it safely and sustainably into the environment. Consistent, regular maintenance and servicing, allows the plant to operate and run smoothly at maximum efficiency, whilst also complying with regulations.
Here’s is an explanation of each of the impacts that can happen if servicing is skipped:
Blockages and Backups
If the sewage treatment plant has not been properly serviced, over time, it can lead to blockages within the system. Debris, sludge, and grease may begin to build up and cause blockages within the treatment system. As the plant begins to get more clogged it can lead to backups in the system, which then may result in sewage overflowing from the plant. These overflows disrupt day-to-day operations but would also lead to unpleasant odours and unsanitary, unsafe conditions.
Increase risk of System Failures
Important components of a sewage treatment plant include the pump, aerator and filter. Without servicing these components, there is a much higher risk of them failing. This would have the potential to cause the system to begin to get overloaded, having a knock on effect on its ability to effectively process sewage. If this untreated or inadequately treated wastewater is released into the environment, it can have serious ecological consequences and you may even face potential fines/legal action.
Health Hazards
The wastewater that sewage treatment plants process can contain harmful pathogens and chemicals. If regular maintenance is not being kept up, the treatment plant may not be effectively treating these pathogens. This results in these harmful pathogens and chemicals being discharged into the environment, which has a serious impact on local communities as the release of these harmful microorganisms can spread diseases such as: gastrointestinal infections, hepatitis, and other serious illnesses. The potential chemical contamination can also pollute local water supplies and soil, causing long-term environmental damage and health issues.
Environmental Pollution
If the plant is not serviced regularly it will not be treating wastewater as it should. This untreated/poorly treated wastewater can cause contamination to rivers, lakes, and groundwater, if it is released into them. This contamination can pose serious health complications to humans who may come into contact with or consume the contaminated water, cause harm to aquatic life and also disrupt ecosystems.
Increased Operational Costs
Failure to service a treatment plant may increase long-term operational costs. Service and maintenance guarantees that components in the system are all functioning correctly and ensures that the system does not get blocked. If these components fail or the system gets clogged up, the repairs and replacements required may be far more expensive compared to if the system was consistently being serviced. If the plant is not adequately treating wastewater, there could be fines and penalties for failing to comply with local regulations.
Reduced Lifespan of the system and components
By servicing the treatment plant regularly it allows engineers to identify any minor issues, and remedy them before they escalate into major issues. If maintenance was not carried out, these parts would have continued to get worn down at a faster rate than normal. Reducing the plants and components overall lifecycle, which would lead to repairs and replacements having to be carried out more frequently, further increasing operational costs.
What Does Regular Sewage Treatment Plant Servicing Involve?
Inspection and cleaning: Inspection of the plant’s components and cleaning of filters and screens to remove any accumulated debris
Maintenance and repair: Routine maintenance of mechanical and electrical systems, including pumps, aerators, and control panels. Any detected faults would also be immediately repaired.
Sludge management: Proper management and disposal of sludge to ensure that it does not cause any blockages or environmental issues. The sludge return ensures the waste is filtering through the system at the manufacturers / environment agencies recommended rate.
Benefits of Regular Servicing
Through regular servicing, you can ensure that the sewage treatment plant is always running at its full capacity whilst being as efficient as possible. This is beneficial in a considerable amount of ways, it reduces the risk of costly repairs and system failures, whilst simultaneously guaranteeing that the environment and public health is protected from untreated wastewater. This ensures that the plant is compliant with local environmental regulations, preventing any potential fines or penalties.
In conclusion, servicing your treatment plant regularly is essential in ensuring peak performance and longevity. Without this maintenance, there can be a host of problems, including system failures, environmental pollution, and increased operational costs. Only through consistent servicing can you ensure that your plant will safeguard the environment, protect public health, and remain running smoothly for years to come.
We provide premium servicing, maintenance and repair for all sewage treatment plants.
Call our team of experienced and qualified sewage treatment specialists today at 0121 461 4861 or visit https://www.cotterillenvironmental.com/sewage-treatment-maintenance-repair for more information or to request a service.
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