Installation guide

Appendix C: Settle Ability Test
SETTLEMENT TEST TROUBLE SHOOTING GUIDE
Colour grey: There may be too much laundry effluent going into the plant. Ask the residents to check they are not putting in
too much detergent. Check that the Laundry use is not all on one day of the week and it is spread out. Try to limit the use to 1 to 2
clothes washings per day. Another possibility is that surface water from the roof etc. is entering the plant.
White deposits in the activated sludge. These are probably due to grease and fat getting into the plant, which should be discour-
aged. The deposit may form into balls.
Light brown: This is due either to the plant just starting up or that it is lightly loaded. The settlement may be poor and “fluffy” in
texture. Do not confuse the lack of settle ability with the need to de-sludge the plant. In a lightly loaded plant this is not the right
action to take.
Black colour: The plant may have some septic sludge in it. In this case the best solution is to have the plant de-sludged.
No clear supernatant: If there is only a small amount of clear liquid above the sludge layer, 8 or 9 if the container is divided into
10 parts vertically, then the unit needs emptying of sludge.
A record of the test and the results should be kept.
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