Off-mains wastewater management specialist Hutchinson Environmental Solutions has been appointed to protect water bodies and boost housebuilding by replacing small underperforming septic tanks across Cumbria.
The Nutrient Neutrality Northwest Partnership has appointed Our Rivers – a joint venture between Hutchinson Environmental Solutions and Nutrient Neutral – for the delivery of its Package Treatment Plant (PTP) Replacement Programme in the area.
Under the scheme, Our Rivers will upgrade small outdated or underperforming private wastewater systems, such as septic tanks and small treatment plants.
This upgrading process generates nutrient neutrality credits, which can be purchased by housebuilders to offset the nutrient impact of their new developments, ensuring that the developments do not increase the overall nutrient load in sensitive water bodies.
The Partnership hopes this will help unlock stalled planning applications in Cumbria.
Paul Usher, Technical Manager at Hutchinson Environmental Solutions – part of the CSG Group – said:
“We are delighted to have been appointed as an approved contractor for this exciting project, working in conjunction with Nutrient Neutral under the umbrella of Our Rivers, after a competitive tender process.”
“Upgrading private wastewater systems will help reduce the amount of phosphorus entering local watercourses, producing benefits for ecological health in protected habitats.”
“With more than 50 years of experience in off-mains wastewater management, we believe we can make a significant impact in this region.”
Nutrient neutrality is a planning policy requiring new developments not to increase nutrient pollution in designated sensitive areas, particularly those with protected habitats like rivers and wetlands.
This means developers must demonstrate that their projects will not add to existing nutrient burdens in these areas, primarily through wastewater discharge. To achieve nutrient neutrality, developers often need to implement mitigation measures, such as creating or restoring wetlands or buffer zones, or purchasing nutrient credits from other projects.
The programme forms a key part of The Nutrient Neutrality Northwest Partnership’s wider mitigation measures under the Nutrient Neutrality initiative in Cumbria, which is being delivered using some of the £16.4 million funding awarded to the Partnership from the Government’s Local Nutrient Mitigation Fund.
Our Rivers has already commenced work and will be carrying out its own community engagement events in the coming weeks.
If you live in one of the 4 Nutrient Neutral river catchments in Cumbria – that’s the Eden, the Kent, Esthwaite and Derwent/Bassenthwaite – and you’d like to know more about how to get your septic tank or old package sewage treatment plant upgraded free-of-charge, please register your interest at www.ourrivers.co.uk and one of our team will be in touch.
