Hydro-Brake improves Sacriston water environment

Solution chosen by Northumbrian Water (NWL) was storage with Hydro International's Hydro-Brake Flow Control to attenuate the discharge into the local sewage treatment works

Upgrading the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO), at the village of Sacriston, County Durham, was required to reduce overflow in times of heavy rainfall into the local stream and meet the Environment Agency's National Environmental Programme guidelines.

The solution chosen by Northumbrian Water (NWL) was storage with Hydro International's Hydro-Brake Flow Control to attenuate the discharge into the local sewage treatment works.

Improvement work was required to prevent the CSO at Sacriston discharging more frequently in times of heavy rainfall into the Local Black Burn.

The solution proposed by consulting engineers Mott MacDonald was to install 600 cu.m.

storage in twin concrete tanks to contain any stormwater flow.

Downstream of this was sited a 229mm CX type Hydro-Brake Flow Control device with a maximum discharge of 58 l/sec to the Sacriston sewage treatment works.

This solution effectively regulates excess flows so that discharges to the water course are eliminated apart from very exceptional circumstances.

The Hydro-Brake Flow Control has an outlet 3-6 times larger than equivalent flow orifice plates and penstocks, which minimises the possibility of blocking and maintenance.

Hydro-Brake ensures a constant maximum flow of water, and achieves pass forward flow rates much nearer to its maximum design flow at lower heads than equivalent flow control technology.

Consulting engineers: Mott MacDonald Civil contractors: Seymour Civil Engineering Contractors.

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