An example of a vertical flow reed bed shortly after planting.Tori Widdas, director at ARM, said: "There is a requirement with projects like this to show sensitivity to the surrounding environment. Plas Newydd is a National Trust site which brings with it specific conservation and heritage considerations.
"The introduction of a reed bed treatment facility meant that the Conway Centre and the Council could add to their sustainability credentials while ensuring that discharge consents were being met for the Environment Agency.
"Reed beds have the added advantage of being able to blend in with the natural environment and are straightforward to maintain over time."
Bob Allan, project manager at Cheshire West and Chester Council, commented:
"We were advised that reed bed technology offered the most environmentally-sound and effective way of treating wastewater at the secondary stage. The Conway Centre has carried out a number of environmental initiatives over previous years to ensure we meet the need for sustainability.
"These include the installation of a composter and grease trap to regulate solids entering the drains and the separation of foul and surface water drainage to optimize discharge volumes.
"We chose ARM as lead contractors on this project because they are specialists in the field of natural wastewater treatment and they have a good reputation for their work with water companies throughout the country."
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