Converted from a renovated 1850s model farm, The Lakes Distillery on the banks of Lake Bassenthwaite is in one of the most outstanding landscapes in England. When it came to choosing a package sewage plant it was important to find a model which could blend into the stunning rural setting and also treat wastewater to the highest environmental standards.
Contractor Border Water Technologies chose to install a HiPAF Midi, manufactured by WPL, which was fitted as the new distillery was taking shape.
The Lakes Distillery, which is in heart of the Lake District National Park, is intended to produce a million bottles of English single malt a year and expects to welcome 55,000 visitors annually.
It was essential that the package sewage plant chosen for the site was as unobtrusive as possible and to create the least possible disruption of the landscape.
Treated water from the plant will be discharged into the River Derwent, which is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI), meaning pollutants have to be thoroughly removed from wastewater to meet statutory regulations.
Mark Ennion from Border Water Technologies said the WPL HiPAF Midi had been installed on budget and on time and fitted all the specifications of the client’s needs.
According to WPL, the High Performance Aerated Filter (HiPAF) has “a unique hydrodynamic design which results in stable biomass growth even when flow fluctuates at different times of the day or in different seasons”. The lack of moving and electrical parts within the plant means little can go wrong, while the design makes servicing, desludging and maintenance “as easy as possible”.
Blending in
WPL says its engineers can create tailor made treatment works which blend into the environment and which can be fitted and maintained even in hard to reach remote sites. In this case, in order to create as little disruption to the landscape as possible the package treatment plant was mounted underground and fitted with a discreet, weatherproof and acoustically lined kiosk.
The HiPAF Midi can be controlled in such a way to guarantee removal of organic pollutants and total de-nitrification to meet surface water discharge consents even in SSSIs.
Managing director of The Lakes Distillery Paul Currie said: “Our distillery is building a reputation as one of the greenest in the world, so it was important for every part of our renovation and building work to be carried out to the highest possible environmental standards.
“The Lakes Distillery is in one of the most beautiful regions of England and we want to ensure that all aspects of our business have as little impact as possible on landscape of the Lake District National Park. We are delighted with the work done by Border Water Technologies and WPL to ensure our onsite wastewater treatment is both as discreet and as environmentally friendly as possible.”
