Why do I need my Sewage Pump or Sewage Treatment Plant Maintained

Having a sewage pump, Sump Pump or sewage treatment plant is essential if your property is at a low level or far away from the mains sewers.

Due to having regular exposure to oils and fats which can build up, your sewage system will need regular maintenance to keep it working efficiently.

Even the most efficient system will need to be maintained to limit the chances of an expensive failure.

We recommend that a sewage system is serviced every 6 months

Like anything with moving parts, your Sewage Pump, Sump Pumps or Sewage Treatment Plant will require regular servicing to maintain optimum performance and to prevent potential breakdowns. Without regular maintenance the life expectancy of your system will be reduced. If your system is still in its warranty period, this may become invalid without regular servicing.

The simple answer is human waste and toilet paper

Although many everyday products say they are biodegradable the process is not fast enough for them to pass through the sewage network. 

Items that should not be flushed:

• Cleaning/Wet wipes
• Sanitary products
• paper towels
• Cotton buds
• Dental floss
• Nappies

Sewage pump and Sump Pump maintenance should only be carried out by a trained professional

Sewage pump and Sump Pump maintenance involves the following:

• Clearing any build up of fat from around the pumps, inlets, level controls and pump guides
• Inspection of the pipework, valves and guides
• Removing the pumps and checking the impeller, bearings, oil and cable entry
• Inspecting all cables and level controls
• Testing all operational functions
• Carrying out electrical tests

Treatment plants need bacteria to enable the biological process to take place. Harsh chemicals, such as bleach will kill off any bacteria within the plant.

There are special cleaning products available specifically for people with Treatment plants.

You should ensure tenants are  aware that the property has a Septic Tank, Sewage Treatment Plant, Sump Pump, Sewage Pump or Pumping Station. For the continued performance of the system you should make sure the tenant understands the maintenance requirements, can tell if a problem has developed and knows who to contact in the event of a system failure.

Even though you don't own the Sewage Pump, Sump Pump, Sewage Pump or Sewage Treatment Plant, you still have a responsibility to look after the system to prevent failure and pollution. Remember if the system fails it will affect your usual daily functions i.e. using the toilet, sinks and washing machine.

The cost of a replacement Sump Pump, Sewage Pump or air pump or any other Sewage Treatment Plant Parts will depend on many factors, so we are unable to provide a fixed price quotation. Please get in touch and we can discuss your options.

This will depend on many factors like the size of pumps or compressor, whether they run  continuously or on timers, how many start ups a day for pump stations. 

An example would be a small domestic treatment plant with a single compressor with a power consumption of 80-100 watts. Compressor runs for 24hrs a day. The cost would be £0.80 to £1.00 a day. 

It is harder to calculate a sewage pump as more information is required to complete the calculation 

A sewage treatment plant should not smell. A smelly plant would indicate that there has been a breakdown in the biological process. The cause of this could be down to many things. It would be advisable to have a professional inspect the system and advise the next course of action.

Sewage Pumps and Sump Pumps can breakdown for a number of reasons, but the most common is blockages from non biodegradable products entering the system.

Sewage pumps are designed to handle foul water, human waste and toilet paper only

Common things that cause blockages are:

• cleaning/wet wipes
• Sanitary towels
• Tampons
• Paper towels 
• Cotton buds
• Dental floss

It is a common misconception that cleaning/wet wipes can be flushed, as their packaging states they are biodegradable. They are biodegradable, but over a much longer time frame than is required for them to pass through the sewage network.

General binding rules came into effect for small sewage discharges from Septic Tanks and Sewage Treatment Plants on 1st January 2015. Owners of Septic Tanks which discharge into a water course need to take action by 1st January 2020 to remain compliant with the Environment Agency regulations

Home owners with Septic Tanks that discharge directly into ditches, streams  or any other water course will need to replace or upgrade their drainage when they sell the property.

Homeowners are responsible for their choice, installation and maintenance of their wastewater system under the new code of practice introduced by the Environment agency. They have a legal responsibility to minimise the impact of their sewage waste if they manage it within the bounds of their property.

(Binding Rules- England, DEFRA, January 2015) ALL septic tanks that currently discharge into a water course will have to be either:

Replaced using a sewage treatment plant with full BS EN 12566-3 Certification instead,

or

The discharge to the watercourse stopped and diverted to a drainage field, designed and constructed to BS6297 2007.