FAQs


Here are a few of our most frequently asked questions. Can’t find what you need? Contact us and one of our advisers will be in touch to help!

What do I do in an emergency?
If you have an emergency and need waste management assistance urgently, please call 01473 830582. Out of normal office hours the answer phone will give you an emergency callout number for 24 hour support.
Do I need a septic tank or a treatment plant?
Choosing a treatment system depends on a number of factors including discharge location, if any, location of the plant as well as budget and requirements. Our team of professionals can advise accordingly and survey your property to advise on the best solution for your requirements.

What is ISO9001?
ISO9001 is an internal standard for quality management systems, published by the International Organisation for Standardisation. The standard sets out what companies should be doing in managing their businesses to achieve customer satisfaction. Independent assessors can use this standard to measure whether companies are meeting these requirements and can then issue certificates.

How much does a septic tank cost?
Typically, an entry level Septic tank can cost around £800+ vat plus installation costs. A packaged treatment plant can cost from £2000+ vat plus installation costs.

Can septic tanks cause odour in my home?
No. When properly vented, a septic tank system should not smell.
I need someone to empty my tank
To book an empty call us on 01473 830582 or complete our contact form to speak to our team.

How can I book a service for my treatment plant/septic tank?
Customers can arrange to have their system emptied at regular periods; the service contract allows peace of mind that the system is being maintained to the highest level. Call us on 01473 830582 or complete our contact form to speak to our team about what’s right for your needs.

When should I get a service?
The frequency with which you need to empty your waste management system depends on the size and type of your tank, but we recommend customers empty it at least once a year to remove the build up of sludge that occurs.

My drains are backing up
Customers experiencing repeat issues with their drain system may require a drain survey. Deploying a survey means we inspect your entire system using the most recent technologies to record any faults and help prevent any failures in the system. Discover more about this service here.

My treatment plant smells
Our team of highly trained professionals can come and inspect your system to review any potential problems and repair or replace any damaged parts within the system. Book an appointment with our team today for a call out.

I’m not sure if I need to replace my system
Before replacing any system, we recommend a member of our team reviewing your current set up to discuss potential repairs and refurbishment. This helps maximise any savings you could make by replacing your entire system. We work with multiple manufacturers and have a number of products in stores to enable this to be done as quickly and efficiently as possible.

How do I dispose of hazardous waste or oily water?
We can take care of hazardous waste including oily water and we work with multiple customers including any not on mains sewage, garage workshop pits, tank bunds, car park interceptors and more. We fully adhere to industry standards and offer safe collection and disposal of oil waste.

How do you dispose of my waste?
We operate our own waste site at Claydon in Suffolk, approved by the Environmental Agency. This is an activated treatment plant that treats sewage and oil contaminated water.
Liquid waste is treated at our own facility, and after treatment is returned to the ground as agricultural fertilizer. Water is purified to high quality standards and safely introduced into streams and rivers, or can be used for irrigating crops.

Where does my waste go?
The waste from septic tanks, sewage treatment plants, cesspools, pumping stations and interceptors is brought to our yard, where it is checked and screened before being stored for treatment. The screened waste then passes through our high speed Hiller centrifuge up to 16 cubic meters per hour; the discharged solids can be lime stabilized before being loaded and taken away for agricultural use as bio solids fertilizer. The water then goes back to storage for treatment.
The effluent is treated to a very high standard set by the environment agency; it is monitored and sampled before it passes to the local water course.

Can sewage treatment plants discharge to a watercourse?
Yes, sewage treatment plants are able to discharge to a ditch or a watercourse. If the site can comply with the general binding rules, this can be consent free. Alternatively, a consent to discharge from the Environment Agency can be granted for a modest fee.

How quickly can you come out?
Our availability depends on the service you require and often the time of year. It’s best to get in touch with us as early as possible to avoid any potential delays in servicing or maintaining your plant. We also offer an emergency call out service to those that require urgent support. Complete our online contact form to speak to our team.

I have special instructions for my appointment, how can I reach you?
Call our team on 01473 830582 and we can make sure we update the team assigned to your appointment.

I need to change my scheduled appointment, who can I speak to?
If you need to reschedule your appointment, please let us know as soon as possible so we can ensure we can find another time to attend. Call our team on 01473 830582.

I live in a remote location, will you be able to help me?
As local providers to the East Anglian community, we are experienced in working with customers that reside in remote locations or their plant has limited access. Our fleet includes vehicles designed to fit into smaller spaces, which means customers inaccessible by standard size lorries can rest assured our team can help.

Are sewage treatment plants noisy?
No. Air driven systems are powered by air compressors which produce a modest hum and RBC type systems (typically the Klargester Biodisc) are virtually silent in operation.

Is sewage treatment expensive?
Once the capital cost of purchase and installation has been completed, the average costs for running a septic tank is the annual emptying fee of around £115.00.
For a packaged treatment plant, you also pay the annual emptying fee of around £115.00 in addition to an annual service at around £90 per annum and approximately £0.56 per day in electricity costs.

Are septic tank soakaway crates legal?
Soakaway crates are prohibited under both the general binding rules and building regulations for use in managing effluent in off-mains drainage fields. Soakaway crates are designed to manage heavy rain, not to treat effluent or help the process of purification of wastewater emanating from septic tanks or sewage treatment plants.

Will my septic tank work without power?
Yes. Septic tanks use a process called anaerobic digestion and therefore do not require a power source. A packaged treatment plant however will use a small amount of electricity as this uses a process called aerobic digestion, which is in effect the introduction of oxygen to the process.