Bushy Equine Clinic Wetland Treatment System

WWT Consulting carried out a feasibility assessment and then provided detailed designs for a wetland treatment system to treat wastewater at the new Bushy Equine Clinic site. Surface water discharge was necessary to overcome the financial burden of mains sewer connection. The new equine clinic will initially house up to 20 horses but the system was sized to allow for future expansion.
 
The clinic wastewater contains domestic sewage from staff and visitors and a range of surgical and clinical disinfectants used in the surgery and cleaning of the building. A package treatment plant was discounted due to the risks of sterilisation of the bacterial communities required for this treatment process.

The final design treats wastewater through a rafted settlement tank which allows for degradation of cleaning compounds, buffers against sterilisation of the wetland bacterial population and removes solids. Wastewater then passes through a series of Vertical Flow, Horizontal Sub-surface and final polishing wetlands to remove pollutants. The system then flows to a wildlife pond before safe discharge to the environment. This final pond is designed to attenuate stormwater generated by the clinic site and to provide additional wildlife habitat.

The project also included the provision of an environmental management system guiding site managers through maintenance and operation processes which will ensure the safe and efficient treatment of wastewater.