Metals recycling firm praises Lanes team for interceptor clean

Top interceptor team – Jet Vac Engineer Brendon Parsons, left, and Operations Manager Lee Hubber, who attended Newbery Metals to clean the interceptor.

One of the leading metals recycling specialists in south west England has praised Lanes drainage engineers for the highly professional work they did to clean a large fuel and oil interceptor at one of its sites.

Newbery Metals called in the drainage team from Lanes Group’s Plymouth depot to carry out the vital work at its Honiton metals recycling site.

Using one of Lanes’ powerful jet vac tankers, Lee Hubber and Brendon Parsons spent two days emptying and cleaning the fuel and oil interceptor, or oil separator it is also known, plus the associated drainage channels.

Newbery Metals Site Administrator Jayne Phelps said: “The Lanes team was very professional and clearly had extensive knowledge about the workings of our interceptor.

“It was important to us that the work was done thoroughly and to a high standard, because we take our responsibility as a metals recycler to protect the environment and prevent pollution very seriously.

“While the interceptor cleaning was being done, the Lanes team kept me informed of progress so I could take pictures of the procedure that we record as part of our due diligence process.

“They were a pleasure to have on site, and we had complete assurance that our drainage system was being maintained to a very high standard.”

Fuel and oil interceptors are an integral part of drainage systems on premises where there is a heightened risk of oil-based pollutants getting into natural water courses. This includes factories, car parks, warehouses, and recycling centres.

They work by separating fuel and oil residue from water and diverting it to a holding tank, so it cannot reach external sewers, culverts and natural water courses.

The residue must be regularly collected for disposal at a regulated waste site, and the interceptor must be cleaned as part of programme of planned and preventative maintenance.

Lanes Group is the UK’s largest independent drainage specialist, delivering drain and sewer unblocking, repair and rehabilitation services to domestic, commercial, industrial, and utility sector clients.

This was the first time the Lanes Plymouth depot had been called in to clean the interceptor. Depot Operations Manager Lee Hubber said: “We were delighted to be able to support Newbery Metals with this interceptor clean.

“We were able to take away a significant amount of liquid and sludge waste to ensure the interceptor remained in excellent working condition.

“We are also able to advise clients on long-term management of such commercial drainage systems, such as planning repair, renewal and replacement programmes, and complying with changes in pollution legislation.”

Newbery Metals was established more than 100 years ago. Its head office is in Exeter, and it recycles ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal at seven locations in the region.