Industrial water auditing and trade effluent monitoring help processing and manufacturing businesses stay compliant and save money
The Environment Agency (EA) and the water companies are responsible for the quality and quantity of wastewater entering the watercourses. As such they control the amount and type of effluent going into wastewater treatment works (WwTW). Treatment plants are complex operations that can manage a limited capacity.
Industry produces vast volumes of effluent that if released into the watercourse could have devastating polluting effects. Therefore, many companies are required to monitor and control their discharge levels, before they are released either into rivers and streams, or into the wastewater sewer network.
Companies that do need to monitor their discharge must obtain a consent licence from the water authority. The consent details what can and cannot be discharged and is made up of the volume and chemical content, or quality of the water.
Depending on the nature of the effluent, charges will generally be made up of:
If trade effluent is discharged that exceed the limits of the consent, a company could face substantial fines, and criminal prosecution.
If you don’t have monitoring equipment in place, trade effluent officers working for the water company will take spot samples of the water to calculate your bills. COD and BOD attract higher charges as it strips the oxygen out of the water.
If you’re unsure what is being discharged and don’t want an unexpected bill, or you’ve received a bill that is higher than you expected, a short term flow and load survey can help. The problem with spot samples is that the effluent taken may not be representative of the site. A flow and load survey can provide more accurate information taken over a period of time and can be used to query or challenge a bill.
Detectronic has a range of trade effluent monitoring systems to help keep you compliant and can save you money. For instance, by monitoring the amount of water used in your process and subtracting the amount from your incoming water, gives you the information to improve processes and reduce waste.
We’ve already mentioned that COD and BOD attracts higher charges. If you know your levels, introducing a simple aeration process to put the oxygen back into the water will reduce your bills.
Are you interested in obtaining ISO 14001 or ISO 50001? Did you know that monitoring trade effluent is a requisite for accreditation?
Typically to monitor the volume of wastewater would require the installation of a primary device such as a weir or a flume and a flow meter.
Sites may vary considerably and different flow meters are better suited to certain environments. Detectronic can help you in selecting the most suitable flow monitor to give you the most accurate results.
The ORAKEL system is a versatile product range which lets you monitor water flow, water levels and water quality simultaneously.
Uniquely designed to be modular, up to 16 sensors can be added to one control unit, all measuring different parameters. pH and temperature are two parameters regularly included on a consent. All our pH sensors have integrated temperature sensors. Other parameters that may be included in your consent licence include:
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