The infrastructure partner London property managers actually answer the phone to.

THE CALL

A facilities manager at a retail park in Croydon called at 06:15 on a Monday. The cesspit serving their food court had reached capacity over the weekend — no warning light, no maintenance contract. Six units were about to open.

DIAGNOSIS

On site by 07:40. 12,000-litre cesspit, last emptied 14 months prior. Three inlet pipes showing partial blockage from kitchen grease. The original installation was undersized for the food court footfall.

RESOLUTION

Emptied and cleaned in 90 minutes. Ran a camera inspection on the inlets and documented the grease trap situation. Produced a written capacity assessment the same afternoon.

OUTCOME

They're now on a quarterly service agreement covering three sites in the portfolio. The capacity report went to their planning consultant for a system upgrade quote. No further emergency callouts in 18 months.

THE CALL

A housing association in Hackney reported recurring drain blockages across a 1960s estate — 340 units, three separate drainage runs. Previous contractor had attended six times in eight months without resolving it.

DIAGNOSIS

Root ingress from two mature plane trees in the central courtyard. The lateral drains at 3m depth had partial collapse in two sections. Previous jetting had cleared symptoms, not cause.

RESOLUTION

High-pressure jetting on all three runs, root-cutting nozzle on the affected laterals. Followed immediately by CCTV to confirm clearance and identify the two collapsed sections for patch lining.

OUTCOME

Handed the housing association a condition report with GPS-referenced defect locations. Patch lining scheduled for the following month. Zero blockage callouts in the 14 months since.

THE CALL

An estate agent contacted us about a rural property in Surrey — 6-bed farmhouse, private treatment plant, sale falling through because the buyer's solicitor flagged no maintenance records and the system was 22 years old.

DIAGNOSIS

Full CCTV survey of the 85-metre drainage run from house to treatment plant. Found root intrusion at two junctions, significant silting in the distribution chamber, and one cracked concrete ring on the primary settlement tank.

RESOLUTION

Survey report issued within 48 hours: WRc-coded defect schedule, photographic evidence, condition grade per section, and a remediation cost estimate. Sufficient for the solicitor's requirements.

OUTCOME

Sale completed. Client retained us for the remediation work. The new owners are on an annual maintenance agreement. Survey report is now their baseline condition document for future sales or planning applications.

THE CALL

A construction site manager in Hertfordshire needed a temporary sewage treatment solution for a 200-worker site on a 14-month programme. The site had no mains drainage connection and was in an EA groundwater protection zone.

DIAGNOSIS

Groundwater protection zone required a packaged treatment plant rather than septic — Environment Agency consent needed before groundbreaking. The programme had no float for a delayed consent.

RESOLUTION

We managed the EA consent application, specified a 50PE packaged treatment plant compliant with the Groundwater Regulations, and had plant in the ground 11 days after consent was granted.

OUTCOME

Programme maintained. Plant decommissioned and removed at project completion — site restored to pre-installation condition. The same developer has used us on four subsequent sites.

THE CALL

A commercial landlord with 12 mixed-use properties received an Environment Agency compliance notice — two of their properties had been discharging inadequately treated effluent into a watercourse. Maximum fine exposure: £250,000.

DIAGNOSIS

Site audit across all 12 properties. Four had no valid EA consent for their discharge points. Two had treatment plants operating outside consent parameters. Three had no maintenance records at all.

RESOLUTION

Produced a compliance action plan within five working days. Managed EA engagement directly. Remediation works and retrospective consent applications submitted within 30 days of instruction.

OUTCOME

EA enforcement action withdrawn. All 12 properties now have valid consents, documented maintenance records, and annual audit schedules. The landlord has avoided recurrence and has a defensible compliance position.