Initially seen in 2007 Belgium, Ghent University – Fruit orchards

BIOFILTERS

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 litres per

‘pump’ session

Liquid distribution over each container by pipe grid, 2 mm holes drilled in upper surface of pipes

Pea gravelInternal 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

Fill area bunded below access level, building includes and biofilter & chemical store Biofilter within sprayer store / fill area

Rinsed container storage

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.

Netherlands March 2013

IBC Biofilter with additional IBC’s with grasses and willows further reducing water content through evaporation

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?

• 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?

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