0191 5131313 | hello@siris.co.uk
0191 5131313 | hello@siris.co.uk

Project

SIRIS supports Yorkshire Water and BarhaleDoosan JV in trial of first nature-based wastewater treatment plant.

 A trial of a sustainable wastewater treatment system is underway at the Yorkshire Water Clifton works, where over 20,000 wetland plants utilising the natural clay are being used to remove phosphorous from the wastewater as a natural alternative to traditional, energy-heavy chemical treatment.


The successful trial of the project will pave the way for further low-carbon, sustainable clay and wetland treatment plants, which aim to reduce energy and chemical usage, as well as create wildlife diversity including bees, breeding birds, amphibians and reptiles.
Further sites have already been identified across the Yorkshire region and results will be closely monitored for potential roll-out.

Flow Monitoring Solutions Provided by SIRIS

 

Working alongside design partner Stantec, BarhaleDoosan JV was the project partner tasked with construction of the site and engaged SIRIS to provide monitoring solutions to deliver key data on the flow of wastewater through the plant. 

 

With the trial being closely monitored by both project partners and the Environmental Agency, the MCERTS-approved, wastewater flowmeters are providing important data to gauge wastewater evaporation and flow leakage rates between inlet and outlet points at each end of the 5x 800m3 plant cells.  The flow meter system includes a battery powered cloud-based telemetry, meaning information is accessible for project stakeholders.

 

 

A high level of evaporation or flow leakage would mean that plants within the marshland would not receive the required nutrients required for their long-term survival and lead to unacceptable levels of phosphorous and BOD in the final wastewater output.

 

Important to the project for BarhaleDoosan JV was to maintain a low carbon footprint across the whole project, including design and build processes.  The easy-to-maintain open channel flow meters were designed to include a solar panel, which not only makes them highly energy-efficient, but removed the need for installation of over 200m of cable ducts and electric cables, concrete-heavy draw pits and associated deliveries of materials.  

 

 

 

 

The level of support from the team at SIRIS was outstanding.  They were very approachable, knowledgeable and fully engaged when considering all options to meet our project aims, coming back with well-thought-out and cost-efficient solutions.

Mollie Geoghegan
Engineering Design Manager, Barhale Doosan JV

 

 

The team at SIRIS is also excited to see the results from the trial.  General Manager Karl Bambynek said,

 

 

“The project is a milestone in bringing sustainability within the wastewater treatment industry and we are proud to be involved in its delivery. If successful we could see significant roll-out and an important positive impact on the environment and its levels of biodiversity.  We are pleased that our flowmeter systems can play a part and look forward to following the project’s progress.”

 

 

Guide to: getting ready for your MCERTS inspection

Preparing for your MCERTS inspection might seem daunting – even if you’re used to the process. In this guide, we’ll be explaining the steps you need to take to get your site ready for a successful MCERTS inspection. 

 

What are the steps to obtaining MCERTS compliance?

 

The first step to achieving MCERTS compliance is obtaining a consent to discharge permit. This is a legal requirement for most businesses discharging trade effluent to a public waterway or sewage system – although there are some exceptions.

 

You can learn more about obtaining a consent to discharge permit here.

 

There are then three stages to getting certified:

 

1. Inspection: A certified MCERTS inspector will visit your site to inspect your flow measurement system. Provided the installation meets the standards, the inspector will issue a conformance report.

 

2. Audit: An independant auditor will inspect your QMS (Quality Management System) to make sure it meets performance requirements. If it does, you will be issued with a conformance report.

 

3. Certification: Provided you have passed the inspection and audit, you will be issued with an MCERTS certificate. Certification is valid for five years after which the installation is re-inspected. The QMS is subject to periodic surveillance audits during the five-year period.


MCERTS certification process

 

You can view the status of your MCERTS certification through the CSA Group’s Certificate Database, which shows whether a certificate is still current or has been withdrawn or suspended.

 

 

Getting ready for your MCERTS inspection

The following steps are our recommendations for preparing for your MCERTS inspection. Whether it’s your first inspection or a re-inspection, it’s a good idea to go through these steps to give your site the best chance of a positive outcome.

 

1.Familiarise yourself with the latest MCERTS compliance guidance. It’s a good idea to get up-to-date with the Environment Agency’s latest MCERTS performance standards and conduct an internal audit to highlight any areas of concern ahead of the inspection.

 

2. Make sure the inspector will be able to access the site. Please ensure any necessary paperwork to allow our team access has been completed ahead our visit and let us know about any training or ID requirements, as well as any site-specific risks.

 

3. Ensure there will be a qualified team member on site. It’s a good idea to make sure that whoever is on site to welcome the inspector has a good working knowledge of the system and is able to answer any questions.

 

4. Get your paperwork ready. The inspector will need to see a copy of your Consent to Discharge and/or permit, along with maintenance and calibration records.

 

5. Collate any representative flow data you have to hand, or make Cloud data available to the inspector. The inspector will typically need to see a 15 minute spot average and daily volumes. This will help them understand the site’s discharge pattern and any variations in flow rate and will be useful if there are unusual flow levels on the day of inspection.

 

6. Check your maintenance programme. Poorly maintained equipment can cause flow meters to give incorrect readings. Your flow system should be in good condition and well maintained and we will need to check maintenance records to asses how effective your maintenance programme is.

 

7. Make sure the flow meter display unit is accessible. The inspector will need to see the make/model, connect a laptop to download the data, and possibly interrogate settings to ensure correct set-up.

 

8. Check the location of the flow meter. Our inspector will need to carry out detailed checks, a flow test. Please make us aware in plenty of time if there are any specialist requirements such as confined space entry. Remember, we may need to access the flow channel and/or isolate the flow.

 

You can download a printable copy of these steps here.

 

How Cloud data can help

Our remote data monitoring system makes it much simpler to prepare for your MCERTS inspection. Using our specialist specialist remote telemetry unit and data visualisation software, our inspectors can quickly access real-time data from your monitoring system. With 24/7 remote access to your data, investing in a data monitoring component for your flow measurement system saves time and money. What’s more, you can focus on getting ready for inspection without panicking about paperwork!

 

Find out more about how data monitoring can help your business.

 

Get in touch to talk about your MCERTS inspection

 

Our MCERTS inspection team

At SIRIS, our team of MCERTS experts are always on hand to offer support and guidance.

 

Get in touch to find out more about MCERTS or preparing your site ready for inspection.

 

Useful links

Meet the experts: Jordan Marley

 

We’d like to introduce you to the experts who make up our team here at SIRIS. This month we’re talking to Trainee Servicing & Installation Engineer, Jordan Marley.

 

What is your background and how did you start working at SIRIS?

I left school with better grades than I was expecting and as a result was able to do an electrical engineering course at Sunderland College. Towards the end of the year I had already gained two of the three available qualifications and to get the third I needed to do a week of work experience with an engineering company. Most companies looked the same but one that stood out was SIRIS so I asked my tutor to contact them and see if they’d be willing to offer me a placement which they did! I spent my week learning the ins and outs of what SIRIS do and even got to go on my first ever site visit. The end of the week came, and I’d thoroughly enjoyed my time with the company, so you can imagine how pleased I was a few weeks later when I received a call from Nick offering me a job!

 

My first day was 17/07/17 and almost four years later, I’m still here, still learning and of course still enjoying my work.

 

What does a typical day look like at SIRIS for you?

No two days are ever the same. One day I could be in the workshop building, assembling and programming a flow system to be delivered to a site, and the next I could be on the road travelling to sites all over the country calibrating, servicing and verifying equipment that we have provided them with. I really like the variety and it keeps work enjoyable and interesting.

 

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I love to solve problems! There’s nothing better than visiting a site where a customer is having issues and finding a solution for them, it gives me a huge sense of pride when I’m able to help others out (and of course relief).

 

What’s a favourite project you’ve worked on recently?

I recently carried out an electromagnetic flow meter installation with fellow engineer Lee Smith for a water company. It was a really challenging job as we had to remove the old broken flow meter and then refit the one into an extremely deep and, as you can imagine, not very spacious, confined space. It was tough and it took us all day to do, so it was really satisfying to see when the flow reading showed up on the transmitter. A challenging, but great day’s work.

 

What do you get up to outside of SIRIS?

I’m an avid Sunderland supporter and have been a season card holder for more than 10 years now (someone’s got to do it!)

 

I’ve only been to one game in the last year and a half due to the pandemic so I’m really looking forward to next season when I can hopefully get back to the Stadium of Light. I’m currently missing the feeling of coming in on a Monday morning when Sunderland have won and Newcastle, who Karl supports, have lost. Other than this I love to travel and spend time with my family and friends.