With Covid-19 lock down restrictions on international travel, it seems that most people still tried to get away in the UK for a well-earned break over the last year. The birth of the ‘staycation’ has seen caravan and camping sites grow exponentially over the last 2 years, with many of them now staying open all year round.
Equally, many sites have increased their ground space, or decreased their pitch sizes in order to accommodate the growing number of people wanting to holiday with their friends and family in the great outdoors.
This increase in footfall will undoubtedly put pressure on the sites’ water supply, waste water drainage and sewage pump systems, and sometimes, if increased demand is placed on such systems, they can simply break down. No-one wants to use a camp site with blocked toilets, broken showers or flooded fields. Customers’ expectations wouldn’t be met and it would be extremely detrimental to the site owners business.
Camp sites and caravan parks are very often set in rural communities away from main sewage networks. Therefore, it’s really important that their owners are fully up to date with the rules and regulations set by the Environment Agency as they could face significant fines if they don’t comply. There are strict compliance regulations for ammonia, phosphorus, nitrogen and BOD.
Sewage needs to be treated and stored to avoid treated effluent leaking into the local environment, reservoirs or estuaries.
There are 3 options available:
1. Sewage Pump Systems for camp sites and caravan parks
This is by far, the best way to handle waste water by installing an on-site sewage treatment pump system. These effectively pump the waste and effluent to the main drainage sewers, which allows the site owner to dispose of the effluent without having to pay for its removal from a septic tank or cesspit.
The systems are enclosed and treat the effluent, which means that treated water from the sewage plant can flow into a running watercourse, ground water soakaway or in some instances, a storm drain.
Furthermore, sewage treatment pumping systems are by far, the best environmentally friendly option for camp sites and caravan parks.
Most pump supply companies will survey the site and develop a system that’s appropriate for the size of the ground and the demand on the services. After installation, they will manage the system and be on call, if, heaven forbid, anything went wrong.
2. Septic Tanks for camp sites and caravan parks
This type of waste system partially treats the effluent because it only treats the waste at the top of the tank. The process is mainly anaerobic and is much slower to break down the effluent than a complete sewage treatment plant.
The biggest issue with Septic Tanks is that they produce a bi-product called hydrogen sulphide. This in turn, produces a foul smelling odour around the tank. So much so, that many authorities in the UK and Ireland have prohibited their use.
3. Cess Pits for camp sites and caravan parks
Cess Pits are really the worst option of all. They are pretty basic comprising of a large holding tank with an inlet but no outlet. The effluent isn’t treated and the contents have to be removed by licenced waste carrier companies by a vacuum tanker.
The size of the tank will have to be enormous on a camp site or caravan site because it needs to hold a huge amount of effluent as it doesn’t break down. And consider the amount of people using the facility! On the other hand, sewage treatment pumps will break down the waste and remove it safely.
In conclusion, with the increase in demand as more people are using camping sites and caravan parks, it is essential that sewage removal systems are fit for purpose and robust enough to cope with the extra demand.
If you own a camp site or caravan park and are thinking of upgrading your systems or need some advice about your system’s capacity, take a look at our website www.pumpsupplies.co.uk – choosing the right sewage pump systems for camp sites and caravan sites are important. We are nationwide suppliers of pumps with over 40 years’ experience including installation, maintenance, servicing and repairs.
