The Problem
A wholesale distribution company required a permanent vehicle wash bay installation for cleaning delivery vehicles while avoiding major excavation works and disruption to its operations.
The company operated under strict compliance standards due to supplying government departments and required improved vehicle washing facilities at its existing leased premises.
The site had no dedicated wash facility and vehicles were being sent to external commercial washing facilities, creating unnecessary operational costs and downtime.
A conventional concrete wash bay installation was not considered viable due to the leased nature of the premises and the major civil engineering works that would have been required.
In addition, the existing vehicle washing activities discharged surface water into a standard car park oil separator. This arrangement was unsuitable because detergents and cleaning chemicals can emulsify collected oils, allowing contamination to pass through traditional car park separator systems into groundwater drainage systems.
Site Constraints
- Leased commercial premises
- Requirement to avoid major groundworks
- Existing wash area connected to standard car park separator
- Mains sewage available but difficult to access without excavation
- Heavy delivery vehicles up to 10 metres long
- Requirement for rapid installation with minimal disruption
- Need to improve environmental compliance
- Requirement to support ISO 9001 operational standards
The Solution
Eco Technical Services Ltd designed and supplied a fully above-ground modular wash bay and water treatment solution which avoided the need for major excavation works.
The system consisted of:
- a 5 metre wide x 10 metre deep modular steel wash bay
- an above-ground bunded oil and silt separator system
- above-ground drainage connections into the existing sewage infrastructure.
The wash water treatment system was specifically designed to manage contaminated wash water correctly prior to discharge to the sewage system.
The installation enabled the customer to improve environmental management procedures while supporting ISO 9001 operational requirements.
Installation Process
The complete wash bay and treatment system was delivered to site on a large articulated HIAB vehicle.
The modular wash bay structure and above-ground treatment equipment were craned directly into position using the vehicle-mounted HIAB crane.
Following positioning, the system was connected to the services prepared by the customer.
To reduce installation time, much of the treatment equipment had been pre-assembled and pre-commissioned prior to delivery.
The entire wash bay and treatment system was delivered, installed and commissioned within three working days.
The Outcome
The customer achieved a fully operational and environmentally compliant wash facility while continuing to operate from their existing leased premises.
The above-ground modular system avoided the need for expensive permanent construction works while resolving the environmental concerns associated with the previous washing arrangement.
The installation was completed rapidly with minimal disruption to the customer’s day-to-day operations.
Key Benefits for the Customer
- Able to continue operating from the existing premises
- No major excavation or concrete works required
- Improved environmental compliance
- Correct wash water management solution
- Assisted compliance with ISO 9001 operational requirements
- Reduced operational downtime
- Fast installation with minimal disruption
- Fixed-price turnkey solution
- Fully modular and potentially relocatable system