Following the pioneering installation of an Aero-Fac treatment system at Errol five years ago, Scottish Water Solutions has ordered a similar 2,500 pe plant for Tobermory on the Isle of Mull.

Following the pioneering installation of an Aero-Fac treatment system at Errol five years ago, Scottish Water Solutions has reaffirmed its faith in the process by ordering a similar 2,500 pe plant to be constructed at Tobermory on the Isle of Mull. The Aero-Fac process is a low energy, low maintenance wastewater treatment system that removes the requirement for sludge handling and disposal. A recent report (Ref1), independently produced by the University of Leeds, and shortly to be published in the CIWEM journal, confirmed that, over a 12 month monitoring period at Errol, 99.99% of the solids entering the system were successfully destroyed by the process.

At Errol, not one sludge tanker has passed through the gates of the plant in the 5 years since its construction, nor is it anticipated one will be needed over the remaining lifetime of the plant.

At Tobermory, Scottish Water Solutions are taking further advantage of this feature to process not just sewage from the local communities, but also septic tank sludge collected from outlying areas.

Up until now, a tanker has had to make frequent trips by ferry to collect septic tank sludge for export back to the mainland, highlighting the unsustainable nature of this means of disposal.

Once the Aero-Fac plant is commissioned, septic tank sludge will be deposited at a collection centre incorporated into the new facility, from where it will be steadily pulsed into the primary treatment cell.

Here the sludge will be digested in an odour-free manner; just as will any solids entering the plant via the main sewer.

Many Water Companies estimate that sludge disposal now accounts for up to 50% of the operating cost of a WwTP, so remove this requirement and add the savings to those of low energy consumption through the use of wind power, couple that with minimal operational complexity and it's not difficult to see why theAero-Fac process is attracting increasing attention.

The Centriquip agent in southern Ireland, Roto Spiral, has equipped a 20-foot flatbed lorry with a CQ5000 centrifuge to provide mobile dewatering services for a wide range of applications. The mobile unit is fully self-contained and has its own on-board generator to supply power to the centrifuge in any location. The company, based in Knocktopher, Count Kilkenny, operates the mobile service through its subsidiary Terra watch and offers a range of services for the treatment of wastewater and other environmental processes such as effluent clarification.

The mobile unit, which is available for both long and short-term hire, can be ready for use within one hour of arriving at the site.

The Centriquip system is operated by fully trained staff who take full responsibility for the entire process.

'These days dumping sludge or untreated effluent into a river or the sea is not an option, so if someone's equipment breaks down it's a serious problem,' says Terra watch director Larry Doyle.

'Our mobile unit can often get someone out of a tricky situation until the machine can be repaired.

We can service and repair any make of centrifuge in much the same way as Centriquip does in the UK and having the mobile CQ5000 gives us the opportunity to show customers just what the latest technology can do,' Larry continued.

The Roto Spiral investment in the mobile unit has already paid dividends and bookings for the hire service are very healthy.

Having the ability to demonstrate a Centriquip decanter to a prospective customer on site is expected to win sales of new equipment in the buoyant Irish market.

A cutting fluid reprocessing facility, installed and managed by Castrol, has cut waste fluid disposal by more than 80% at the Perkins Engine plant in Peterborough.

A cutting fluid reprocessing facility installed and managed by Castrol, has cut waste fluid disposal by more than 80% at the Perkins Engine plant in Peterborough. Perkins Engines, part of the engines division of Caterpillar, is a major supplier of diesel engines for the industrial, agricultural and power generation markets, with UK manufacturing plants in Peterborough and Stafford and a manufacturing location in Curitiba, Brazil. The two transfer systems at the Peterborough plant have an annual output of 20,000 cylinder heads and cylinder blocks.

A cylinder head machining line supplied by Renault produces 80,000 units.

And a bearing cap machining facility produces 150,000 sets for a variety of different engines.

Perkins has been a Castrol customer for more than ten years and currently uses Alusol XTH soluble cutting fluid to machine cylinder heads and cylinder blocks at the Peterborough site: Castrol supplies metalworking fluids and services to other Caterpillar sites in the UK.

Four years ago the company adopted Six Sigma methodology and applied the system to evaluate the potential for outsourcing fluid management.

Following the review, which included proposals from the existing cutting fluid suppliers, the company concluded that a total fluid management programme would not benefit the business.

However, some of the specific proposals put forward in the Castrol proposal were of interest, and the company decided to progress them in a separate working partnership.

Initially the partnership focused on a specific project, and Castrol was awarded a contract to install and manage coolant reprocessing and laundering equipment in the main metal cutting facility responsible for producing cylinder blocks and cylinder heads.

The performance of the 3-year contract exceeded expectations by generating a substantial cost saving and, more importantly, a significant reduction in the amount of waste cutting fluid that needed disposal.

Commenting on the project, Perkins manufacturing manager Chris Baty-Symes explains that the waste fluid volume was actually reduced from 466,000 litres to 45,000 litres, a reduction of over 90%, adding that whilst cost savings are important, meeting the demanding target of zero emissions to landfill by 2010, set by the Caterpillar environmental policy, was an even greater incentive.

'We expected the environmental benefits to be at least 'cost neutral',' he says, 'but this was a major environmental improvement that was 'cost beneficial' and meant that the equipment paid for itself within the three year contract period'.

He added that the waste reduction improvements achieved in the first twelve months of the partnership with Castrol, not only met the Perkins 2003 target, they also enabled the company to meet its 2006 targets two years ahead of schedule! Needless to say, Castrol retains its contract and continues to manage the reprocessing and laundering system for Perkins.

And, having demonstrated the effectiveness of the products and the technology that it brought to the partnership, Castrol is now working with Perkins to investigate other opportunities to improve the way its fluids are managed.

Castrol contract manager Adam Cavanagh explains that the gains are mutual.

'We are not selling product, we are selling solutions.

The contract we have with Perkins enables us to generate revenue even though we are supplying less cutting fluid.

And it helps us to meet our environmental obligations as part of the BP Group'.

Summing up the relationship Chris Baty-Symes says it is very professionally handled by Castrol, who are extremely focused on the activities they are supporting.

'They have delivered tangible results that are not just financial.

Thanks to the close working partnership we are now disposing of less than 10% of the fluid that previously left the Peterborough site as waste, and that is a huge environmental benefit'.

By installing Elga C1000 water treatment cylinders, Superior Seals has eliminated the need to store, handle and ultimately dispose of the potentially harmful chemicals required by the previous plant.

By installing C1000 water treatment cylinders from Elga Process Water, Superior Seals, an internationally recognised UK based manufacturer of precision O rings, seals and mouldings has, at a stroke, eliminated the need to store, handle and ultimately dispose of the potentially harmful chemicals required by the old plant. The new cylinders also take up far less space, than the ageing ion-exchange water conditioning equipment, and maintenance is reduced to simply ordering and connecting a replacement cylinder when the one in use has reached its maximum treatment capacity. In addition, the use of cylinders offers significant cost savings compared with installing and operating a new ion-exchange system.

'This is an excellent solution for us,' said David Payne, Quality Systems Manager at Superior Seals.

'Not only is it very cost effective, the space savings it offers are also invaluable, as we are constantly expanding our manufacturing capacity, and space is always at a premium.

The environmental issues, or rather the lack of them, are another a big plus,' he continued.

'We are a very environmentally conscious company, so the opportunity to eliminate the need to use strong acids and alkalis in our water treatment system was particularly attractive'.

The cylinders are used to purify water supplied to the machines which Superior Seals uses to wash its products prior to packing and despatch.

Three washing machines are currently in use, and a fourth will be installed shortly to handle the rapidly growing demand for the company's products.

Each machine is provided with two Elga C1000 cylinders, one in service, the other on standby.

Flow is switched to the second cylinder when water conductivity checks show that the first is nearing exhaustion, allowing replacement cylinders to be fitted with no interruption to the supply of treated water.

The cylinders are fed directly from the mains water supply, with no pre-treatment.

Elga Process Water offers cylinders with a wide choice of resins, allowing their performance to be accurately matched to user requirements.

For Superior Seals, a standard weak de-ionisation resin is used, which produces treated water with a conductivity 10microSiemens at a flow rate up to 2,835 l/hr.

While this is considerably in excess of the flow currently required, Superior Seals chose C1000 cylinders rather than their smaller counterparts to allow for future expansion, and also to maximise the interval between cylinder replacements.

While some applications undoubtedly need more sophisticated water treatment equipment, the experience of Superior Seals clearly demonstrates that, where the requirements are straightforward, Elga cylinders have a lot to offer in terms of economy, convenience and environmental friendliness.

Surface Active Solutions secures an 18 year deal to treat refinery and petrochemical oil contaminated wastes at Grangemouth using a range of micro-emulsion cleaning product and support services.

Surface Active Solutions (SAS) the pioneering micro-emulsion technology specialists have announced an unprecedented 18 year exclusive supply contract to a market estimated to be worth over GBP50 million across Europe. SAS is to provide Ondeo Industrial Solutions with a range of micro-emulsion cleaning product and support services for the INEOS (formerly BP and Innovene) petrochemical complex in Grangemouth, Scotland. The 18 year contract, covers the use of micro-emulsion technology and the method of application developed and patented by SAS for the treatment and remediation of refinery crude oil slop wastes and other hydrocarbon contaminated wastes from petrochemical processes and installations.

This technology in combination with the latest engineering and expertise available in waste processing from Ondeo Industrial Solutions will bring to the market a wholly new method of waste treatment and minimisation.

It is hoped that the new strategic partnership will be able to greatly reduce the volume of hydrocarbon wastes produced from industry operations, recover the oil for recycling and clean water for disposal along with a small fraction of non-hazardous solid materials.

Laurence Bower, Corporate Vice President and UK Managing Director of Ondeo, stated; 'This is a very exciting partnership as it enables us to offer a complete turnkey service to our customers by funding the installation of equipment, managing the movement and treatment of waste and getting best value from disposal routes.

The combination of the latest separation and mixing technology together with the SAS chemistry delivers significant savings on current disposal routes and offers a sustainable environmental solution.

We are currently processing significant volumes of oily waste and will be rolling out the package across UK and Europe in the coming months'.

John Harrison, Development Director of SAS commented, 'This process demonstrates a huge leap forward in terms of technological achievement in this area of waste treatment which has long been a major challenge for a number of industries.

The technology clearly has the potential to provide a complete and economic solution to many applications in this industrial area in line with ever tightening EU environmental legislation'.

Mark Zwinderman, the Operations Director of SAS added, 'We hope and expect that the formation of this strategic alliance with Ondeo will enable us to diversify the use of our technology into other key areas of application within the industry.

So far our focus has been on the upstream side of the oil industry.

Working with Ondeo will allow SAS to penetrate the downstream application areas.

In addition the process developed by Ondeo and SAS is applicable to many types of oil contaminated wastes and both partners are committed to expanding the process and applied technology to other areas of the oil and gas and other industry sectors.' SAS has been supplying micro-emulsion cleaning products to the global oil and gas industry, primarily in the UK sector of the North Sea, for over 3 years.

The technology has been used in a number of key application areas including WBCU displacements, mud pit cleaning, rigwash applications and in onshore slops treatment.

Thus far the technology has set new industry standards in levels of cleaning efficiency and in environmental performance capabilities, efficiency and in environmental performance capabilities typically reducing the volume of oil contaminated hazardous wastes produced in these cleaning applications by 70 - 100%.

Significant time, HSandE advantages and related cost savings to operators accompany the benefits of implementing the technology on the site of waste production.

Black and Veatch and Dawson WAM are making good progress at a number of rural sites in Northern Ireland for the Water Service Northern Region Integrated Wastewater Treatment Framework.

Black and Veatch, a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company, and its joint venture partner Dawson WAM are making good progress at a number of rural sites in Northern Ireland for the Water Service Northern Region Integrated Wastewater Treatment Framework. Enabling Water Service to reduce the number of small works by redirecting flows to suitably upgraded Wastewater Treatment Works, Loughguile is a fitting example of the type of small-to-medium wastewater projects being undertaken by Black and Veatch, which includes the entire civil, mechanical, electrical and process design - as well as off-site pumping stations, hydraulics and sewerage infrastructure. The decision to contract local companies for completing the projects has provided Water Service with enhanced value, competitive costs and on-time project completions.

In addition, the upgraded systems at Loughguile will employ membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology providing substantially better final effluent quality than conventional secondary treatment.

'Black and Veatch prides itself on our ability to draw upon the best resources to support our clients' needs,' said Niall Rogers, Black and Veatch Project Manager for the Loughguile project.

'The Loughguile project is an excellent example of our ability to bring together some of the best contractors within Northern Ireland to complete this challenging work.' A WWTW serving 30 dwellings at nearby Ballyknock is being decommissioned and replaced by a new pumping station that will direct flows through a new 1,700m pipeline to Loughguile, which serves a 2006 PE of 869 and 2030 enhanced PE of 1,353.

Rogers said what makes the project challenging is the requirement to minimise the visual impact of the new works, so the MBR structures have been built substantially below ground.

In addition, construction must remain within the boundaries of the existing site while the current WwTW stay online and within compliance throughout the construction period.

With space at such a premium on the site, Black and Veatch has been renting part of a farmer's land, which sits adjacent to the treatment plant - an arrangement that has proved mutually beneficial and an example of the importance of working with the community.

'Our success to date is a direct result of good communication among the many project teams and contractors,' Rogers said.

'In addition, open dialogue helps support the local communities at every level.

Working with local businesses and contractors means that residents understand and can discuss the project with team members as opposed to having a faceless workforce on the other side of the fence'.

At the Loughguile wastewater treatment works, control panels and electrical installation have been supplied locally by TES (NI) of Cookstown, whilst mechanical plant installation has been carried out by Shaw Automation Company of Ballymena.

Generators have been brought in from A1 Power Systems of Cookstown, whilst lifting equipment is from Heyn Engineering of Belfast and MBR Installation by Copa Wastewater Controls.

In addition, all fixings and fittings are supplied locally and 'off the shelf,' helping Black and Veatch keep costs competitive and deliver on time.

A Rapide Strata counter-current short-cycle deioniser is the ideal solution for the Anglian Windows requirements for improved water quality in a new glass soft-coating process.

A Rapide Strata counter-current short-cycle deioniser from Elga Process Water has proved to be the ideal solution to the Anglian Windows requirements for increased volumes and improved water quality resulting from their introduction of a new soft-coating process for the glass used in many products. The new Elga water treatment system is also providing other important benefits, including reduced regeneration time, smaller effluent volumes and substantially reduced running costs. Soft-coated glass has a much better energy performance than ordinary glass but, before the soft coating process can be carried out, the glass must be cleaned to a very high standard.

This requires demineralised water with conductivity of 20micro-S or less.

The existing installation at Anglian Windows - also originally supplied by Elga - had given reliable service over many years but was only designed to achieve 40micro-S.

In addition, its throughput was too low to meet the demands of the new process.

Replacing the existing system with a Rapide Strata 18 deioniser, which has a capacity of 18m3/hr and which produces treated water with an average conductivity of 2micro-S, provided a complete solution.

The new installation has a regeneration time of just 35 minutes, minimising the need for water storage to avoid process interruptions.

In addition, the Rapide Strata installation has a requirement for chemical regenerants which is up to 60% lower, per cubic metre of water treated, than the older system.

This means substantial reductions in expenditure on chemicals, and that less space is needed for chemical storage on site.

The efficiency of the new water treatment installation at Anglian Windows also means that effluent volume has been reduced by around 45% and that the effluent stream is close to neutral pH.

Only a minimum of treatment is, therefore, needed before the effluent is discharged.

These factors result in further cost savings.

'Installing the Rapide Strata system was straightforward,' said David Duncan, General Services Manager of Anglian Windows, 'as the equipment is supplied fully assembled and pre-tested on a skid.

Some modifications were, of course, needed to our existing pipework but, overall, the new plant was up and running very quickly.

From the outset, the results in terms of water quality, reliability and performance have been excellent, and we are naturally delighted to have more treated water of better quality while still being able to reduce costs.

Elga were very sensitive to our needs throughout this project and, without doubt, the company has provided us with a solution that addresses those needs very effectively'.

Elga Rapide Strata systems of the type used by Anglian Windows are available in versions with flow rates of 4, 10 and 18m3/hr.

All sizes feature high-efficiency short-cycle regeneration, and all can be optionally supplied with an integrated polishing device to produce water with much higher quality for very little extra expenditure, if it is required.

Veolia Water Solutions and Technologies (VWS) a subsidiary of Veolia Water, has recently appointed Johann Bonnet as the new market manager of its Global Pharmaceutical Group.

Veolia Water Solutions and Technologies (VWS) a subsidiary of Veolia Water, has recently appointed Johann Bonnet as the new market manager of its Global Pharmaceutical Group. Johann will be responsible for promoting VWS products and services to a global pharmaceutical audience and ensuring its business units are kept up-to-date with the latest market information and key company messages. Johann joined VWS in 2001 as a sales engineer and spent five years designing water treatment plants and promoting the pharmaceutical side of the business in Western France.

During this time, he continuously achieved significant turn-over and market share growth goals for the division, almost tripling its turnover during one two year period.

David Dolphin, General Manager of the Global Pharmaceutical Group in Marlow, said: 'I'm delighted to welcome someone of Johann's experience to the Group and I'm looking forward to us working together to promote VWS in the pharmaceutical marketplace.

His background in process water treatment and pharmaceutical process engineering combined with a strong track record of driving business initiatives make him ideally suited to the position of Market Manager'.

'I'm very happy to be to joining the Global Pharmaceutical Group and have the opportunity to work with David and the team,' said Johann.

'It's a privilege to be part of a company that is at the forefront of design and engineering in the water treatment industry and which has established an enviable global reputation in the pharmaceutical sector.

I'm looking forward to helping our global pharmaceutical clients address their key business challenges and ensure our future products and services are developed to fit their needs'.

VWS is a world leader in the design of technological solutions and the construction of turnkey facilities and water treatment plants for municipal and industrial clients.

A new brochure from Veolia Water provides a concise discussion of water purification in the pharmaceutical industry, with solutions to meet, reliably and cost effectively, the demanding requirements.

A new brochure from Veolia Water Solutions and Technologies (VWS) provides a concise discussion of water purification in the pharmaceutical industry, and introduces a range of solutions which are specifically designed to meet, reliably and cost effectively, that industry's uniquely demanding requirements. A useful aid to all who specify water treatment equipment for pharmaceutical applications, the eight-page brochure provides a range of key information in a compact and readily accessible format. Illustrated throughout with photographs and diagrams, the brochure discusses the production of purified water, highly purified water, pyrogen free water and WFI as critical processes, and lists the key standards with which water treatment plant for use in the pharmaceutical industry must comply.

It also explains how VWS addresses compliance and validation to ensure problem-free implementation in even the most demanding of applications, and gives details of the company commitment to service: which means that, wherever in the world the plant is installed, performance-critical maintenance, spare parts and consumables, are always readily available.

An illustrated overview of five packaged water solutions for pharmaceutical applications is provided, along with guidance on important selection criteria.

A three-dimensional chart illustrates the relationships between capital investment, life-cycle cost and levels of application risk for each of the solutions, and gives examples of how the chart can be used as an aid to the selection of the most appropriate solution for specific applications.

For a copy of the VWS new brochure describing Pharmaceutical Water Solutions please use the brochure enquiry service.

Veolia Water Solutions and Technologies (VWS) is a subsidiary of Veolia Water.

VWS is one of the major world designers of technological solutions for, and constructor of facilities for water treatment.

With over 6,500 employees, the company has operations in more than 50 countries.

VWS recorded a revenue of Euro1.6 billion in 2005.

Veolia Water, a division of Veolia Environment, is the world leader in providing out-sourced water and wastewater services for municipal authorities, as well as industrial and service companies.

Vexamus Water has helped Wessex Water meet rigorous new discharge consent for final effluent quality, by using an innovative, continuous filter package, which has a proven track record in Europe.

At Merriott WWTW, process specialist Vexamus Water has helped Wessex Water meet rigorous new discharge consent for final effluent quality. Working in close conjunction with leading civil engineering contractor Morgan Est, Vexamus Water has installed an innovative, continuous filter package, which has a proven track record in Europe. In giving Wessex Water the opportunity to cost-effectively enhance an existing treatment plant, the DynaOXY nitrifying tertiary sand filter has significantly reduced washwater requirements, eliminating the need for storage and collection.

This tried and tested sand filter, which is available in the UK exclusively from Vexamus Water, also benefits from a much smaller footprint than most conventional systems, making it ideal for any site where space is at a premium.

In addition to reducing capital and civils costs, DynaOXY has low head loss, is low on energy consumption, low on maintenance and requires only minimal operator supervision.

Leading international environmental company Bord Na Msna is introducing a growing number of Aquamatic wastewater samplers into Ireland.

Leading international environmental company Bord Na Msna is introducing a growing number of Aquamatic wastewater samplers into Ireland. Compliant with the UK Environment Agency's E32 automatic sampling equipment specification for the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, Aquamatic's kiosk-based S2-RK32 samplers are contained within robust and secure glass-reinforced polyester units. Used by Bord Na Msna Environmental, which is the market leader in Ireland, Aquamatic's samplers are a key example of the superior quality technologies and services it has to offer clients in order to help them adhere to increasingly tough legislative requirements.

Designed with sample refrigeration, which is particularly important for biologically active wastewater, Aquamatic's S2-RK32 is suitable for water companies or any industrial user wishing to monitor its effluent for environmental, financial or productivity purposes.

Within a refrigerated, lockable housing, sample collection vessels are stored between 0 and 5C, in order to minimise degradation during the storage period between the taking of the sample and its analysis.

As part of Aquamatic's acclaimed capability for supplying two complete sampler ranges with one sampler module, the stationary S2-RK32 sampler complements the company's portable Aquacell P2-Coolbox (also E32 compliant), which is very convenient for use at remote sites or where no power is available.

Biological phosphorus removal to meet UWWTD tightening discharge consent is central to the Biwater Treatment contract at the Severn Trent Water Ledbury wastewater treatment works in Herefordshire.

Biological phosphorus removal to meet UWWTD tightening discharge consent is central to the Biwater Treatment contract at the Severn Trent Water Ledbury wastewater treatment works in Herefordshire. The GBP6.1m project also includes storm water CSO screening at the main feed pumping station and provision for a future tertiary treatment stage. Completion is scheduled for March 2005.

Designed for a population equivalent of 13,930, the new plant will treat a process flow of 132 L/s to a final effluent standard of BOD 10: suspended solids 20: ammonia 3 (summer) and 5 (winter) mg/l.

The process incorporates 6mm screening, grit removal, crude sewage and RAS conditioning, two diffused air oxidation ditches for biological phosphorus removal, final settlement, odour control to the inlet works, RAS/SAS pumping, SAS thickening and new MCC/power distribution.

Bestobell Service, the service arm of Solartron Mobrey, has a new MCERTS package to help water companies meet the Environment Agency's new legislation regarding the self-monitoring of effluent flow.

Bestobell Service, which operates as the service arm of measurement and control sensors manufacturer Solartron Mobrey, has launched a new MCERTS package to help water companies meet the Environment Agency's new legislation regarding the self-monitoring of effluent flow. To assist compliance with The Water Resources Act 1991, the legislation 'MCERTS: Self-monitoring of effluent flow' came into effect on 1 January 2004, requiring water companies to install and maintain reliable flow measurement equipment that accurately measures (to an uncertainty of +/- 8%) all daily discharges from waste water treatment sites of more than 50m3. Having been consultants to the water industry for the past eight years, Bestobell has now created its MCERTS package to help water companies ensure their facilities are compliant.

They will provide independent, product-neutral, un-biased advice on the equipment, installation, data gathering and transmission, and quality procedures.

Paul Cherry, Flow Specialist at Bestobell is the first MCERTS inspector to be appointed: 'Water companies will be assessed by a third party, the MCERTS inspector, who will be required to produce a report stating whether the facility has met MCERTS standard or if additional steps need to be taken'.

Reports submitted to the Environment Agency from 1 January 2004 require MCERTS validation.

The Agency hopes that better effluent flow monitoring will result in a more accurate measurement of pollutants released into the environment.

Water companies will also benefit from more detailed information that can improve the treatment process planning - resulting in increased revenue.

Yorkshire Water completed a comprehensive report the evaluation of a portable wastewater sampler: eventually selecting the Aquamatic Aquacell P-2 Coolbox, which meets the stringent requirements of E32.

Yorkshire Water has completed a comprehensive report on how it went about evaluating a portable wastewater sampler: eventually selecting Aquamatic the Aquacell P-2 Coolbox, which meets the stringent requirements of E32 - the Automatic Sampling Equipment Specification for the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. During the winter sampling regime, the sampler was run for twenty consecutive twenty-four hour composite sampling periods at a Yorkshire Water sewage treatment works near Sheffield. The plant treats around 175 MLD of domestic and trade sewage, using two activated sludge plants.

Around half of the samples were taken from the influent sewage, after fine screening and grit removal, but prior to primary settlement.

The remainder were taken from the final effluent sampling point.

Throughout the course of this trial, the Aquamatic sampler performed reliably.

No breakdowns occurred.

The P-2 Coolbox was found to perform identically during winter and summer conditions.

This is in keeping with the findings of a lengthy WRc appraisal, which noted that the sampler was able to achieve a temperature of 0-40C over the range of temperatures expected from the British climate.