Water purifies itself eventually but takes a very long time, this is why water treatment facilities are crucial. They speed up this natural process and remove toxins to protect humans along with the ecosystem. If this forced purification wasn’t carried out in the UK, wastewater would be responsible for a significant amount of devastation. Billions of people globally produce more wastewater than Mother Nature can cope with.
More than 80% of wastewater across the world is discharged without any purifying treatment at all. Major health risks are the result of unclean water, and figures show that it accounts for 1.7 million deaths annually. Over 90% of these deaths occur in developing countries due to diseases such as cholera and schistosomiasis. In some areas less than 5% of wastewater is treated before being released into the environment.
Effective treatment of wastewater is also important to protect the ecosystem, as fish and aquatic life need constantly fresh, clean water. If the water is polluted by wastewater, their environment becomes toxic and they can not survive. Chemicals like phosphates and nitrogen render streams, rivers or large bodies of water uninhabitable for living creatures. It causes excessive plant growth which releases toxins into the water, and leads to oxygen depletion and dead zones. These are areas where fish etc can no longer exist.
As the human population increases, so does fresh water consumption, meaning that efficient solutions are constantly being sought. Whether it’s wastewater from urban areas or industrial settings in places like Leeds, making it safe for use is essential. Water treatment plants are excellent at removing chemicals, organic matter, particulates and other unwanted debris. After treatment the water is purified and suitable for human consumption, with no risk of short or long term health problems.
Water treatment in the UK is subject to strict rules, and it can change without notice, as happened in January 2020. Among the changes for England and Wales, are rules relating to septic tanks that discharge to surface water. These will need to be upgraded or replaced with a sewage treatment plant. It used to be that you could dispose of sewage either via a drainage field or watercourse. The drainage field method is still will not be affected by the new regulations. The second involved allowing sewage to flow through a pipe directly into a watercourse, a lake or river for instance. This second method of discharging effluent is now banned and will no longer be permitted.
If you are discovered to be polluting the surface water by direct discharge from a wastewater plant, by the relevant authorities, there are consequences. You will be required to install new water systems within a year.
Water treatment plants are precision built to exacting standards by professional companies like Brookshaw Stuart. In our work we are required to meet the demands of major organisations such as Yorkshire Water. We regularly supply fabrication for sites which depend on the integrity of the systems in place. They must be reliable, dependable and completely fit for purpose.
We have provided fabricated chemical trays to ensure that there is no contamination of clean water sites in North, South and West Yorkshire. Our work includes the fabrication of bracketry works for storm and sludge tank inlets, and technical brackets for water level measurement in Knostrop, Leeds.