Knowledge and proactive management of remote reedbeds is a key area where companies can cut operational and capital expenditure. The optimisation and enhancement of remote reedbed treatment systems can secure performance for many years without the need for full site refurbishment and the associated costs.

Reedbeds are generally tucked away in sewage treatment works and provide treatment with minimal maintenance requirements. The results is that remote reedbeds often get overlooked until the works are close to breaching consent.

Consultancy services:

We provide a wide range of services for wastewater treatment, including:

  • Feasibility Studies: Assessing if a project is practical and beneficial.

  • Monitoring and Evaluation: Checking and analysing the performance of treatment systems.

  • Research and Development: Creating and testing new solutions.

  • Process Design: Planning effective treatment processes.

  • Mitigation and Impact Reduction: Reducing negative environmental effects.

  • Consents and Authorisation: Helping with legal approvals.

  • Design Evaluation: Reviewing and improving existing designs.

Project management:

We ensure every project benefits you and the environment, long-term. We provide innovative solutions beyond traditional methods, delivering superior performance and greater risk reduction.

We support you every step of the way, from inquiry to installation, and we provide aftercare support to ensure peak performance for your reedbed.

Construction:

We include a performance guarantee and a two-year service and maintenance contract with every system we design and build. We specialise in reed beds, but don’t use them unless necessary – our objective is to provide you with the most cost-effective solution possible.

Refurbishment:

How quickly a reed bed clogs can vary depending on the site, maintenance undertaken, and wastewater type. Reed beds that are improperly maintained, or handle lots of organic matter, will have a shorter working life. At ARM, we offer a refurbishment service to rejuvenate your reed bed. We can clear clogs, remove sludge, clean the media, or even rebuild using existing materials to repair your reed bed.

Asset assessment:

Our asset assessment package includes a site visit to check the condition of your reed bed. We provide a written report with recommendations to help you meet discharge requirements.

With our expertise in water and sewage treatment, we assess each site and offer a cost-effective, long-term solution for any issues with your installation.

R&D:

We continuously invest in researching reed beds and constructed wetland technology at our development centre, based in Rugeley at ARM Ltd. headquarters.

Our wetland system, originally set up in the 1980s to handle farm wastewater, now cleans sewage from the local business area. It uses different types of reed beds, including horizontal flow, vertical flow, and aerated beds to achieve this. We've grown our facility to over 20 wetland cells, allowing us to test different uses for wetlands.

Maintenance services:

Reed beds are low maintenance, but maintenance is essential for good performance. After installation or refurbishment, we offer a post-commissioning service with a basic maintenance plan.

This plan covers two years of basic care and service, including several site visits per year to assess the reedbed performance and a detailed report to specify results and potential issues, to give you peace of mind. 

Monitoring and evaluation:

Existing wetlands need regular checks to proactively identify issues. This means regularly testing water at the entrance and exit of the wetland and measuring the water flow to measure system performance.

Monitoring can be included in an asset management plan or assessment. We can also set up flow meters and a sampling system to test key water quality indicators like BOD, COD, suspended solids, nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia.

Value engineering:

Over time, we've encountered numerous designs that have been over-encumbered due to unnecessary additions. To remedy this, we embrace a straightforward design approach to reduce costs and lead times.

Whether you use our design or yours, we simplify the process for contractors and clients through experienced-based design reviews, without sacrificing quality or performance.

Bespoke designs:

We can provide a design-only service. This option is open to small developers and individual homeowners completing smaller projects, making reed bed technology accessible to everyone.

Process guarantee:

Our process guarantee gives clients peace of mind that the system will perform as designed and treat wastewater effectively and consistently. It is designed to demonstrate our confidence in our reedbeds and guarantee a reliable and consistent treatment solution.

Training and facilitation:

Wetland technology has evolved significantly over the years. We often receive questions about suitability for different wastewaters, the effectiveness of treatments, overall advantages and maintenance.

We have developed our training program to answer these questions and increase awareness of reedbeds. They include an introduction to key aspects of the operation and maintenance of reedbeds and reedbed technologies. Sessions can be delivered as lunchtime seminars, CPD-style training, or workshops.

ARM Ltd delivers reliable, sustainable wastewater management with free outline proposals and a proven track record, utilising 35 years of knowledge and experience in reedbeds.