Raggatt Leachate holding tank

Summary

The requester sought clarification on which planning document referenced an above-ground leachate holding tank for the Raggatt site. The authority responded with a detailed overview of the proposed Glenfaba sewage treatment works, explaining how the facility will process Raggatt leachate to eliminate road tanker traffic, alongside descriptions of the construction, noise, and odour control measures.

Key Facts

• The proposed Glenfaba treatment works is part of Phase 2 of the Regional Sewage Treatment Strategy (RSTS).
• The facility will process leachate from the Raggatt, eliminating the need for current road tanker traffic.
• Treatment will use Integrated Rotating Biological Contactors (IRBCs) with biofilm to digest effluent.
• The existing Glenfaba House will be demolished to make way for the centrally located works.
• Odour control systems include air suction and scrubbing to neutralise smells before release.

Data Disclosed

• PA19/00462/B
• mid-2017
• 4m diameter
• 50dB
• 1m
• one tanker visit per week-day
• one vehicle visit per week

Original Request

Summarised:  For the avoidance of any doubt the information which I'm requesting is in which document in the plethora of documents submitted with the planning application referred to (PA19/00462/B), there was a reference to 'The above ground holding tank to allow the leachate to be drip fed into the treatment process.

Data Tables (1)

Data Tables (reformatted)

Full Response Text

The proposed treatment works at Glenfaba forms part of phase 2 of the Regional Sewage Treatment Strategy (RSTS). This seeks to continue with further major improvements in sewerage infrastructure to enhance our Island’s environment. Glenfaba House The existing entrance on the A27 Patrick Road by the bridge. The vast majority of Peel's sewage currently flows by gravity down to the pumping station on the promenade, where it is held in large storm storage tanks. It is then pumped out to sea via the outfall in an unscreened and untreated form. This runs out below the beach and discharges beyond the breakwater. The Glenfaba site became available in mid - 2017 and provides a well-screened location with minimised impact on the surrounding area which lies immediately north of Glenfaba Bridge and only a short distance from the town. The site is also close to the Raggatt and so will be able to process the leachate from the Raggatt, eliminating the road tanker traffic that this currently requires. Background The sewage works site Peel Promenade pump well (alongside the larger storage tank- both under the Promenade roadway) Peel Promenade Pumping Station What are you going to build? The pumped flow into the works will pass through a dedicated screening facility. The flow will then be passed into a flow-splitter which will deliver the flow to the Integrated Rotating Biological Contactors (IRBCs). These are slowly rotating packs of hundreds of discs, each around 4m diameter, totalling many dozens of acres of area. These are partly submerged in the effluent, and as they rotate through it, a layer of biofilm develops on the surface which digests the effluent, leaving a cleaner liquid effluent exiting from the works. This will flow along a return pipe to the pumping station, where it will be directed to the existing sea outfall. Solids fall to the bottom of the IRBCs here and also at the promenade storm tank and periodically these are removed by suction tanker as sludge and taken to Meary Veg for processing. This process is common across many MU sites throughout the Island and it is also standard practice elsewhere in the UK and Eire. How will it work? We will refurbish the promenade pumping station, and lay two pipelines along East Quay, past the House of Mannanan, then out along the mill race running parallel to the Heritage Trail, up to Glenfaba, where the pipelines will cross the river just downstream of Glenfaba weir and enter the works. This has been designed to sit centrally within the site to minimise the number of trees which will be affected. The house will be demolished. Where will it be built? What about noise? The facility is designed to minimise the noise levels generated by the equipment which will run continuously. The motors are small and run through reduction gearboxes so will minimise the noise levels. These are located inside the IRBC covers which are themselves behind the outer compound banks and planting which will further absorb sound. We do not expect the sound pressure level to exceed 50dB at 1m from the site perimeter outside normal working hours – no greater than normal suburban background noise or office conversation. At the nearest properties to the site this value will have further reduced to rural ambient background levels. Daytime operational access will typically be one tanker visit per week-day. This will connect into both the sludge manifold pipe-work and the odour control facility whilst it operates its vacuum suction system for a short period. There will be a further vehicle visit per week for screenings removal. These are captured inside the screening building, dropping into a covered “Biffa” rectangular commercial waste bin which is simply exchanged during a brief site visit. The screening building is at the eastern end of the site, is fully enclosed and has its own odour control system. What about smell? We will use Best Practice Odour Control to minimise or eliminate the opportunity for smells to be released. We cannot guarantee the site will never smell under any circumstances but we have taken every step possible to reduce this risk. Each of the IRBC’s is connected to an air suction system, always pulling air into them from outside. This moves any odour from the works, with this air, through an air scrubbing system to neutralise odours. The treated air is then released to the atmosphere. A typical Odour Control System Odour management is integrated into daily site regimes so processes for the management of potential odour issues are second nature to staff. Best Practice means using preventative maintenance and standard operating procedures together with fully trained staff and plant operators. Please see the other “Background Information” posters on the Odour Control System. Composite view looking west across Glenfaba Bridge to the new site entrance Composite view looking NE towards Glenfaba Bridge with the new site entrance in the centre Composite view looking west from the heritage trail at the site with established mature planting What will it look like? Section view looking West and away from the river Section view through the site looking North along River Neb Plan of the site What about the trees? The Glenfaba House site has 262 trees on it. The designers have carefully considered the functional needs for the works and to minimise the impact on the surrounding trees have set out the site layout as centrally as possible. To meet the requirements of this nationally important Island strategic project, it will be necessary to remove approximately one third of them - 94 trees. Some of these are known to be in poor condition and may have canker and other problems. We have sought to reduce to a minimum the number of mature trees in good condition which must be felled. Manx Utilities will be planting almost 380 new saplings to replace the trees lost. This will be a part of a compensatory planting scheme for the site and surrounding lands which will be finalised with DEFA Forestry Department. The saplings will be of varying sizes up to 4m high and from species recommended by DEFA. Also, during construction we will utilise an Arborist to check that the remaining trees are well protected and roots are undamaged. We are interested in hearing your views on the information presented in this consultation. Please talk to our representatives and complete the questionnaire to record your comments. We will spend the next few weeks reviewing the feedback. The plans will then updated if necessary and then be submitted for Planning Approval, where you will have a further opportunity to comment. We will also be appointing a Contractor to provide a price for the works with a view to starting on site in Autumn 2019, with the works completed by Summer 2020. What happens next? The planning application will be published shortly after submission and this will include an Environmental Impact Assessment which will cover many other details of the project. How can I find out more ? Please contact Manx Utilities via telephone, email or letter: Manx Utilities Tel: (01624) 687687 PO Box 177 Free phone: 0808 1624 115 Douglas Please be aware calls may be recorded for training and security purposes Isle of Man IM99 1PS Email: peelconsultation@manxutilities.im Opening hours (excluding public and bank holidays) Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5:00pm Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm Who Can I Contact? An IRBC is an Integrated Rotating Biological Contactor Integrated because it includes both biozone and settlement tanks in the same device; Rotating because it utilises hundreds of large ribbed discs, totalling many acres or hectares of surface area,rotating slowly through the effluent; Biological because it creates a bacterial biofilm on the surfaces of the slowly rotating discs which rotate in and out of the sewage under treatment, with the bacteria digesting the effluent; Contactor because the discs are directly in contact with the effluent. What is an IRBC? Why are IRBCs going to be installed? ●IRBCs are well established in the Isle of Man at a large number of sites with many dozens of IRBC devices in use in total. ●IRBCs are a simple, robust, reliable process; ●The IRBC is a completely covered process; ●The IRBC process is compact and ideally suited to a small site; ●The spare parts maintenance holdings can be matched to other similar sites Martyn Perkins MHK and Daphne Caine MHK Viewing the IRBCs at the Kirk Michael Site – viewing the rotor in motion through a maintenance door and with odour control in full operation. Where will the pipes run? Promenade to Mill Road/Close Chairn Where will the pipes run? - Part 2 Composite view looking west across Glenfaba Bridge to the new site entrance Composite view looking NE towards Glenfaba Bridge with the new site entrance in the centre Composite view looking west from the heritage trail Existing View Existing View Existing View Section view looking West and away from the river Section view through the site looking North along River Neb

Manx Utilities PO Box 177, Douglas Isle of Man, IM99 1PS

e: enquiries@manxutilities.im t: 01624 687687 www.manxutilities.im

Our ref: 1150026 14 February 2020

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 27 January 2020 and which, in summary, states:

"For the avoidance of any doubt the information which I'm requesting is in which document in the plethora of documents submitted with the planning application referred to (PA19/00462/B), there was a reference to 'The above ground holding tank to allow the leachate to be drip fed into the treatment process."

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Manx Utilities does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that you have requested. This is because there are no references within the Planning documentation to 'The above ground holding tank to allow the leachate to be drip fed into the treatment process'. To provide further advice and assistance, please find attached a copy the booklet that was available to take from the Public Consultation, it contains copies of the visuals that were shown at the event. This does reference that the site will be able to process the leachate from the Raggatt. Please note that the overall processing methodology is not part of the planning process, as functional and operational design detail is not normally required or provided as part of a planning application.

Please quote the reference number 1150026 in any future communications.

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If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are

dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely