Experience counts

With its firm commitment to a clean and healthy future, EMS designs and builds effluent management systems that are commercially viable, environmentally beneficial, and in turn, reduce the health risk associated with the discharge of sewage.

From its beginnings in 1995, EMS has transitioned from a successful plumbing and drainage company working in Hawke’s Bay to an even more successful specialist wastewater company. A lot of this success is thanks to an exceptional team of people who live and breathe wastewater (we draw the line at drinking it!).

Director Steve Crockford says the team’s desire to improve environmental outcomes is a key driver in the continuing search for better ways. “In the early days, septic tanks were the accepted way of managing sewage discharge to land however, from an environmental perspective they just didn’t cut it.” he says. “So, we started looking for those ways.” From that search has grown a range of effluent management systems that include dosing siphons, effluent filters, secondary wastewater treatment plants and tailormade commercial treatment plants.

Continuing the innovation ethos founded all those years ago, EMS has recently started using recycled glass instead of hard-to-source filter sand as a media in its commercial wastewater treatment plants. While sand provides excellent trickle- down filtration of effluent, it was becoming difficult to find a reliable source so Steve contacted and partnered with glass recovery firm 5R Solutions to create a product to replace sand.

This move has brought new benefits for the company, its clients, and the environment it strives hard to take care of every day.

“The difference glass has made to our sustainability efforts has been revolutionary,” he says. “The crushed and graded recycled glass has fantastic quality and consistency, a lower carbon footprint, resilience, and cost-effectiveness.”

“We are repurposing an already recycled waste product in a way that creates further environmental improvements, and it is a New Zealand-made product not an imported solution so it’s a win-win on all fronts.”

The double bottom-line benefit of great outcomes for the client, and for the environment is the result of hard work and commitment to a better way.

Hastings and Napier City Councils have trusted EMS to provide some of these systems to serve a number of public toilet blocks along Hawke’s Bay coastline. Prior to these new systems, there were only old toilet blocks and ancient septic tanks that were well past their use by date.

Alongside public amenities, the company also designs, builds, and services effluent management systems for rural properties, schools, marae, papakāinga, camping grounds, RSE villages, and local authorities.

As EMS approaches the 30 years of business milestone, the lessons learnt and drive to improve still burns as brightly as ever. You, as the client are the beneficiary of this experience.

The team’s interest in improving environmental outcomes was the key driver in the search for alternatives to the traditional septic tank.

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