March 29, 2024

Why responsive environmental solutions matter in construction

It is safe to say there is a significant amount of planning that goes into a construction project long before the first breaking of ground takes place. Here, Drake Meikle, Technical Sales Engineer at Siltbuster Ltd for Scotland, talks us through why responsive environmental solutions should be part of the overall planning for every site and looks at what to consider.


From surveying, locating utilities and planning access, through to plant hiring, scheduling, permitting and finding a good workforce, there is a lot that needs to be considered, including the environmental solutions. We know that no reputable construction company will ever start a project with the intention of their work having a negative impact on the local environment or further downstream, but we also know that having an environmental strategy in plan can sometimes get overlooked.

Understanding what implications your construction activities can have on the land, air and water, and what the environmental risks are during the planning stages, will help mitigate operations, maintenance and disposal costs, as well as lost time due to non-compliance with environmental regulations. Land disturbance, such as stripping, excavations, cut and fills, all initiate the need to assess the site for soil erosion prevention, stormwater and groundwater management and quality assurance measures for water discharging from the construction area. 

It’s important to consider where this water will be received, including receptors, and the water quality criteria. Construction activities that involve cement works can result in water with a high pH of 12-14, the equivalent to oven cleaner, and suspended solids that require water treatment. The pH will need to brought back to a neutral 7 and the suspended solids settled prior to discharging it within the set site permit, safely to the environment. 

Likewise, remediation activities can require several processes to ensure the water is treated to meet with compliance. In these scenarios the water treatment solutions can include the use of water treatment chemicals, aeration, oil water separators, and Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filters, meaning that there is not much that cannot be treated on site in an easy to operate and cost-effective way. 

Readily available and quickly deployed, modular wastewater treatment systems have become a critical resource for the construction sector to meet the discharge criteria set for the site by the regional or national environmental legislation authority. The environmental impact to surface water courses, groundwater and sewer systems are heavily monitored and as part of the initial planning stage. Knowing what services and equipment are available for your specific treatment requirements can help you plan and to be prepared for both the expected and unexpected. This protects companies from fines and damage to brand reputation.

The expected can easily be covered in the planning stages and often includes concrete wash water treatments and removal of suspended solids in groundwater exposed during excavations and soil stripping. The unexpected, often caused by heavy rainfall, creates excess water and surface run-off that overwhelms the attenuation areas. Also included in the unexpected category is discovery of oily residue or lime deposits in the soil. 

Both for the expected and unexpected there are ‘easy to achieve’ solutions that will keep a project and company compliant and the environment safe. Lamella Clarifiers, also known as settlement tanks, are the ‘go to’ for improving settlement of suspended solids. They come with the option to add on a dosing stage using coagulants and flocculants to help improve the settlement of waters with high clay content. For any concrete wash water and waters with high pH, Siltbuster has a range of systems using CO2 to safely and cost-efficiently reduce the high pH waters to neutral without the use of acids, including the renowned Siltbuster RCW for cement truck chute wash outs on site. Should a site encounter an oily residue, an oil water separator can quickly solve the issue.

In summary

For me, the scenarios and applications are almost endless with modular and flexible systems. They are simple to implement, quick to install and let the site get back to focusing on the work at hand. 

We work very closely with our clients to find the best and most cost-effective solution that suits their requirements to make a site or project environmentally compliant. Whether the project is a small house building site or a major infrastructure one, our modular solutions are thoroughly tried, tested and trusted by the construction industry.