BIOFILTERS
Initially seen in
2007 Belgium,
Ghent University –
Fruit orchards
Horticultural Development Council
(HDC) Biobed Trial 2008 - Headlines
• UK grower, 2 glasshouse sections – 6 months
• 14,000 litre pesticide waste and washings dealt
with
• Insecticide, fungicides and 1 PGR
• 9 pesticides involved
• 8 of which were fully ‘retained’, 1 was 97.8%
‘retained’ – inlet reduction of 31 fold
• Under £500 build cost
• Now Biofilters are included by EA in T32 Waste
Regulation Exemption
BIOFILTER
under
evaluation
2008
Flow- around 150 litre
per ‘pump’ session
Liquid distribution over
each container by pipe
grid, 2 mm holes drilled in
upper surface of pipes
Pea gravel
Internal layer of
pea gravel
between
geotextile
membranes to
prevent biomix
material passing
through.
Sample bottle
only used for
research
purposes, not
required in
commercial
adoption
New spray centre building enclosing sprayer fill area.
Next slide shows internal view.
• System in use from 2012, No problems, well meets
requirements
• Limited waters produced.
• Facility also includes potential for sprayer washdown
• Essex & Suffolk Water contributed to biofilter cost and
are regularly sampling biofilter influent and effluent
Rinsed
container
storage
Fill area bunded below access level, building
includes and biofilter & chemical store
Biofilter within sprayer store / fill area
External 3 x IBC
biofilter, shows
bunding necessary
Spray out trough, covered
when not in use.
Fill area under cover.
Output from both areas
directed to 3 x container
Biofilter with sump tank
below.
IBC Biofilter with additional
IBC’s with grasses and
willows further reducing
water content through
evaporation
Netherlands March
2013
GRANTS!
• Catchment Sensitive Capital Grant Scheme now
Countryside Stewardship
• Short application window each year
• Aim to reduce potential pollution
• Biobeds included
• Applied to CFSO Applications 2nd March to 30th
April 2015
- Works completed and claimed for
29th Jan 2016
Rates – next slide
Code Capital item Guide price, represents 50% of the total cost of each capital
item.
CSF022 Pesticide handling and biobed options (Environment Agency consent
may be required)
A: Lined biobed (off-set or drive-over) with associated loading/wash
down area (per unit) £118/m2
B: Lined biobed (off-set or drive-over) only (where existing wash down area is
already in place) (per unit) £77/m2
C: Biofilters as alternative to larger off-set or drive over biobed for use with small
volumes of pesticide washings (per unit). This includes four Integrated Bunded
Containers (IBCs) £990.00
D: Pesticide sprayer or applicator loading and wash down areas only (per unit)
£40/m2
E: Roofing for pesticide sprayer or applicator loading and wash down areas
£62.00/m2
Regulation Summary
• 15,000l spray washings per biobed etc, not counting rainfall per
biobed, same for biofilter but not suited to rainfall flow
Biobeds / Biofilters may not be sited within
• 10 m watercourse
• 50 m where borehole used for non domestic / food purposes
• 250 m where borehole used for domestic / food purposes
• SPZ 1 New ruling EA – Environmental permit needed. Local EO
check options with Local Groundwater and Contaminated Land
Team. Follow Best practice within T32 guidance. To be reviewed in
Feb 2015
Biobeds – when not required
• No problem, secured discharge
• Tank disposal by waste contractor OK
• Existing Permitted area
• Covered fill area then very low liquid
production - Biofilter?
• Future alternatives?
Systems including evaporation
• Two systems currently
– One based totally on evaporation
– Evaporation over soil and straw mix similar to
a biobed
Evaporation system.
Contaminated liquid held in
‘plastic’ bag, evaporates over
season. When fully evaporated at
end of season, bag is rolled up,
packed in bespoke container and
transferred for approved disposal
route.
Example of installed unit with elevated
washing area
Environment Agency do not require an exemption for this. Probably
suits low annual volumes of liquids, required to be bunded and
subject to positioning limits as with biobeds/biofilters as well as Best
Practice in operation.
Treatment as Biobeds
plus evaporation, soil
/ straw mix with
translucent roof over
and air gap.
Removable roof to
allow loading/
unloading of biomix.
Approved by EA in T32/U10
but no UK design data other
than through supplier
French installation, simple
gravity feed from fill area.
Next Steps?
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•
Think it through
Review fill site, local drains, traffic
Check WIMBY - EA
Calculate volumes of liquids
Priority Catchment? Talk to CFSO
Roofing possible?
Check system development – phases?
•
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Summary
Point source losses of pesticide can be significant
Improved working practices can reduce these losses
The window during which pesticides can be applied is limited.
Accidents are inevitable
Biobeds / Biofilters, evaporation systems can be used to effectively
‘treat’ pesticide contaminated run-off and equipment washdown and
therefore reduce losses to water
•
T32 exemption required from EA to have biobed/biofilter/+ evaporation,
U10 for spreading mix to land 1 per 5 years. No Exemption required for
Evaporation only system.
•
Subject to the necessary exemption being granted, biobeds / biofilters
offer a cost effective answer alongside ‘newer’ systems
More Information
• www.biobeds.info - Detailed information on designs and principles
• www.voluntaryinitiative.org.uk
•
•
•
•
then Water leading to
My area WIYBY
H2OK? Campaign
Biobeds
Catchment Work
Environment Agency
– www.environment-agency.gov.uk/ search biobeds
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency
– PEPFAA Do’s and Don’t’s Guide