It is over 3500 years old and the scale of the monument has awed visitors for generations. The new visitor centre provides an insight into the history and construction of Stonehenge and has been sensitively designed to preserve and enhance the surroundings of the ancient stones.
SEEPEX Smart Conveying Technology (SCT) is the newest innovation in progressive cavity pump design and SEEPEX are proud to have supplied as part of the recent upgrade of wastewater treatment at the Stonehenge Visitor Centre.
The centre is likely to welcome over one million visitors a year and improved facilities were essential to cope with the increase in effluent from them.
The new system, in a containerized solution, incorporates a Membrane Bio Reactor from Nijhuis H20K, a specialist wastewater treatment turnkey solution provider. English Heritage, who operates the visitor centre, demanded a compact solution with low noise emissions to improve the environmental footprint of the centre.
SEEPEX and Nijhuis H2OK engineers identified that the pumps needed to handle the bioreactor sludge mixed with screenings, which is removed from site by tankers. The sludge had variable particle sizes and could be abrasive, which means good solids handling ability was essential, leading to the recommendation of an SCT pump. The SCT design, with adjustable retaining segments, has an extended service life leading to fewer maintenance intervals, lower operating costs and a reduced environmental footprint. SEEPEX SCT pumps do not need pipework removed for maintenance, a further advantage for the compact containerized design.
“The project had some logistical challenges, namely a small installation space and the potential for abrasive sludge, challenges that we were able to overcome with the use of Smart Conveying Technology.” Nick Jones, Technical Specialist, SEEPEX UK Ltd.
