Premier treatment for Swansea City’s new training centre

The success of football team Swansea City on the pitch has been matched by the remarkable transformation of the club’s new Fairwood training centre. Modernisation of the facility, which is leased from the University of Swansea, included building eight full-size pitches, changing facilities, offices, seminar rooms, a canteen and specialist medical and physiotherapy rooms.

Upgrade challenge:

Importantly, to accommodate the impressive new buildings and a significant increase in activity at the site, extra sewage treatment processing was also required. In view of the prestigious, public nature of the site, the installation needed to be wholly reliable, and discreet sewage treatment plant.

The existing gravity-fed trickling filter plant, while meeting discharge consents, was too basic to accommodate the new demands. Further, the location of the legacy plant, in a wooded area 150m from the facility, also made it difficult to service and maintain.

Flexible installation:

Technical Manager, Dominic Hamblin, recommended the HiPAF (High Performance Aerated Filter) midi to the site-owner’s contractor Samatrix. The below-ground (off mains drainage) packaged treatment plant is ideal for both sewage and kitchen wastewater.  The HiPAF midi plant suits a usage of 60-300 people and can easily handle the variable pattern of usage to be expected at a sports ground.

To facilitate easier access, a new site in a field 30m nearer the training facility was chosen. Excavation equipment already being used on site was employed in laying electricity lines and new larger water pipelines. The soft nature of the ground meant a new metalled road to the plant also had to be built.

Samuel Munn, Managing Director of Samatrix, said, “It has been running successfully, with a good final effluent.  Working in close partnership we got it right first time – with both the specification and installation.”