Service Spotlight: Sewage Treatment Works

Sewage Treatment Works (STWs) are some of the most demanding and technically complex sites we survey. Their dense networks of pipelines, chambers, drainage systems, and historic infrastructure require precision, problem-solving, and a good understanding of the environment.

At Kemp, we deliver integrated utility surveys and topographic surveys to give clients complete clarity above and below ground. This holistic approach supports safe planning, accurate design, and efficient upgrade works for some of the region’s most essential public infrastructure.

Why Sewage Treatment Works Need Specialist Surveying

Surveying wastewater treatment works presents several unique challenges, including:

• Overlapping and ageing underground services
• Limited, inaccurate, or outdated records
• Buried structures such as tanks, channels, and abandoned assets
• Tight operational constraints and safety considerations

To meet these challenges, our teams combine traditional tracing methods with advanced tools like post-processed Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). This technology allows us to identify subsurface features with far greater detail, giving clients confidence in their design and construction decisions.

Recent Projects

Morchard Bishop Sewage Treatment Works

Kemp delivered a full topographic and utility survey to support improvement works at Morchard Bishop STW. The survey captured all above-ground assets alongside a detailed underground service map, helping the design team plan upgrades safely and efficiently.

Chulmleigh Sewage Treatment Works

Our team completed another comprehensive topo and utility survey at Chulmleigh STW. Post-processed GPR played a key role in verifying drainage routes and identifying buried structures, reducing the risk of unexpected findings during future construction phases.

These surveys provided accurate, dependable data that formed the foundation for the wider improvement programmes led by the client.

A Look Back: Decades of Experience

Our work on sewage treatment sites isn’t new, in fact it’s far from it!

Kemp has been supporting STW projects for decades. Back in the 1990s, our surveyors carried out Topographic surveys and Setting out for numerous new sewage treatment works across Cornwall and the wider region, working on multiple sites throughout the county.

These schemes were delivered alongside major contractors of the time, including Alfred McAlpine, AMEC, and Mowlem. This early involvement in large infrastructure projects helped establish the depth of expertise that continues to shape our work today.

This work has been part of what we do for decades, and that experience continues to guide how we support clients today.

From the Team

“One of the best things about being a surveyor is the puzzle-solving and lateral thinking required to locate as many services as possible. Sewage Treatment Works put all of our investigative abilities to the test and are incredibly rewarding puzzles to solve. Adding post-processed GPR results to our surveys has proved incredibly useful for clients and has helped uncover features such as buried tanks that would be incredibly hard to locate otherwise.” – Sam D

Supporting the Future of Critical Infrastructure

Sewage Treatment Works play a vital role in protecting communities and the environment. By providing accurate, reliable survey data, Kemp helps clients plan improvements with confidence, minimise risk, and ensure safe delivery of projects across the region.

If you’re planning upgrades, extensions, or investigations at a Sewage Treatment Works, getting the right survey data from the outset is critical. Talk to Kemp today.