There are a few key ways in which you can help keep your sewage treatment plant in good working order. Our top tips for sewage treatment plant maintenance are as follows:
Use biologically friendly household cleaning products. The sewage treatment plant process is known to be the most environmentally friendly because it basically encourages the growth of bacteria to break down sewage by circulating air through the system to produce a much cleaner effluent. If commercial chemicals, medicines or hygiene products enter the system they will kill the bacteria and prevent the breakdown process from working properly.
Similarly using large quantities of biological cleaning products or bleach will also disrupt the equilibrium of the bacteria in the tank. In addition, anything you put down sinks and storm drains can end up in local watercourses or the sea so it is worth thinking about this alongside the fact it will potentially prevent your sewage treatment plant from working properly. Fats, oils & grease cause additional problems as they can block drains and cause backups, as do disposable items such as wet wipes and nappies.
Have the sewage treatment tanks de-sludged regularly, ideally every twelve months. However, some of the lower budget treatment plants will require emptying more frequently. This should be carried out by a licensed waste carrier.
De-sludging your sewage treatment plant will help to maximise the working life of the components and will prevent the effluent quality from deteriorating. You will notice if it has if the final effluent this is cloudy or contains many suspended particles, then the final settlement tank. If this is the case you will need to have your tank checked over but ideally you will prevent this from happening if you carry out our top tips for sewage treatment plant maintenance.
You could also consider carrying out a full service of your sewage treatment plant around every 24 months. However, it would be worth checking over the components of the sewage treatment plant more regularly so you can spot problems early.