New service launched as Emerson analysis predicts only 20% of UK water company effluent discharge sites will be on course to confidently pass the MCERTS 5 year re-certification tests.

Emerson Process Management has announced a new MCERTS Health Check service to assist UK water companies in complying with discharge consents. The service will enable dischargers to assess their sites prior to the required five-year re-certification, enabling them to avoid time-intensive and costly last-minute preparations or failures. The launch comes as analysis conducted by the Emerson Mobrey Service (which has provided legislative and technological consultancy to UK water companies for more than ten years) shows a significant number of sites would fail an inspection.

Under the 'MCERTS; Self-Monitoring of Effluent Flow' guidelines, consent holders (processors who have been granted consent to discharge by the Environment Agency) are required to have their sites certified every five years by a qualified MCERTS Inspector.

Inspections review site configuration, flow structures and instrumentation to ensure that they meet the required standards - specifically that there is appropriate measurement and recording of instantaneous and cumulative daily flows.

'In the lead up to the Environment Agency March 2005 deadline for all sites to have achieved certification, water companies invested millions ensuring the right technology and processes were in place,' explains Paul Cherry, Flow Specialist and MCERTS inspector, in the Emerson Process Management Mobrey Service operation.

'A number of previous AMP2 installations could now fail an MCERTS inspection due to a variety of reasons - altered site process configuration, incorrect sizing, lack of adherence to maintenance procedures for example.

As a result, water companies may be un-prepared for what in some cases is a fast-approaching re-certification programme'.

The Emerson Mobrey Service is offering water companies the opportunity to have an MCERTS Inspector 'spot check' any number of their sites, providing consultancy on any problem areas and advice as to what needs to be done, at the least possible cost, to ensure re-certification is achieved.

Cherry concludes: 'The aim is to promote and encourage on-going maintenance and a continual review of procedures so that accurate and appropriate flow measurement becomes inherent within the organisation.'