Reedbeds on the move in Exmoor National Park

Local company Aardvark EM Limited, who specialise in wastewater treatment have developed a lightweight mobile reedbed that acts and functions similarly to traditional reedbed systems, but requires less space and can be transported almost anywhere to treat waste waters from industry, leisure, domestic households and agriculture within a matter of hours of a request.

With support from the Exmoor National Park Sustainable Development Fund the project aims to demonstrate how effluents from domestic, agricultural and commercial properties may be treated to improve the areas water quality. Water quality affects us all, whether for recreation or as an essential for life.

Exmoor in its rural location enjoys a good water quality standard in its rivers, streams and ground waters, but unlike other areas of the country most of the waste water produced is discharged to the ground with only limited treatment, e.g. through septic tanks, soakaways etc. Recently the UK signed up to the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and as a result all UK watercourses and ground water resources have been assessed. The results have been published by the Environment Agency and they make for surprising reading for the area. Several locations on Exmoor are deemed to be at risk of failing to meet the requirements of the WFD.

The project will deploy four systems and monitor these over the next 12 months and the company are now looking for possible sites. The trial is free, but access is needed for installing the system and monitoring. The site will be used to demonstrate this low cost technology. If you have a site or  would like more information please contact the Aardvark project manager Adam Robbins (01984 624989). In addition Aardvark EM Ltd is looking to employ an environmental researcher, preferably from the Exmoor area, to help run the project - see their website for details www.aardvarkem.co.uk

Mark Clayton, Managing Director from Aardvark said “Water quality is vital to our sustained future, individually we can make a significant difference to overall water quality and lessen the impacts of our waste on the environment. We are pleased to be able to deliver this project with the help from Exmoor National Park Authority and look forward to progressing this over the next 12 months.”