Topaz, Ireland’s largest fuel and convenience brand, has recently opened the "City Avenue" service station in Citywest Business Campus on the outskirts of Dublin – complete with petrol pumps, a convenience store and a carwash. 
During the build, the contractor was tasked with finding an efficient, long-term SuDS (Sustainable urban Drainage System) that would not only successfully protect against flooding, but would also withstand the weight of heavy vehicles on the forecourt overhead. Specifying a solution that would work with the site’s space and depth restrictions was also key. 

When the system originally proposed could not meet the project’s unique requirements, the contractors approached water engineering specialist FM Environmental for an effective alternative. 

Topaz Energy recently became part of the Alimentation Couche Tard Corporation, which possesses over 15,000 filling stations in North America and Europe. 

FM Environmental worked with Graf UK to specify, design and install a 240-cubic litre EcoBloc Inspect Flex stormwater attenuation tank, with a lorry-bearing capacity of 60 tonnes. As the tank is designed to be installed at depths as shallow as 1.32 metres (with an 600mm earth covering), this made it the ideal fit for the limited space available. Surrounded by an impermeable membrane, the tank releases water back into the main storm system at a controlled flow rate, using a supplied vortex flow controller. The team also specified a 10,000L Carat XXL underground rainwater harvesting tank from Graf UK, which feeds the rainwater it collects directly into the service station’s on-site carwash.

The treatment of the garage facilties was finished off with the supply of a grease trap to handle the cooked food production at their Re.Store restaurant concept.

Results

The EcoBloc Inspect Flex system is delivering effective, ongoing flood prevention that meets the Topaz site’s significant vehicle loading needs. What’s more, the tank’s inbuilt inspection channels allow for straightforward maintenance, ensuring optimum performance for the lifetime of the system. It is also engineered to handle the kind of extreme storms that only occur roughly once every 100 years – making it a truly long-term solution. Meanwhile, the Carat XXL rainwater tank is providing the carwash with

Announcing the project at Grand Central Station at the end of a week-long visit to the US, Minister Bell said: “This is an impressive development for a very ambitious Northern Ireland company. FM Environmental identified the US as a target market for its Grease Guardian products and took the strategic decision to open a US office to enable it to capitalise on the business opportunities. 

“This commitment has certainly paid off.  In the first 12 months the company has successfully installed its products in over 300 different locations across the US, and can now include the magnificent Grand Central Station in its long list of customers.

“This is an excellent example of how a growing Northern Ireland company can prosper in a global market with the right focus and investment.  I hope this deal will act as a springboard for FM Environmental to generate even more business here.”

FM Environment established its New York headquarters in 2014, and this latest contract adds to their existing business with leading US fast-food restaurants and coffee houses.

Over the last number of years the company has invested in innovative products and services that differentiate it from its competitors. It has also identified key export markets including Russia, Malaysia, Australia and Mexico.

Invest NI has offered the company £50,000 of support to assist it with its export growth plans, including market development activities, IT support and the creation of two new jobs.

Designed to be fully automated, the OXY-FLO is a self contained smart-control dosing system that anticipates septic conditions thereby preventing noxious odours and material corrosion.

Why dose? Septicity occurs when dissolved oxygen is consumed thereby creating anaerobic conditions resulting in the bacteria forming hydrogen sulphide. Hydrogen sulphide not only contributes to noxious odours at manholes and chambers but also contributes to corrosion in concrete and metal sewer pipes and pumping stations through the formation of sulphuric acid, leading to costly repairs and even emergency reconstruction as a result of collapsing mains.

Hot weather conditions, further contributes to the septicity problem with noxious odours at sewage works and pumping stations causing a public nuisance to holiday-makers and seaside day-trippers across the country.

The OXY-FLO system has been designed as a one-stop solution for solving septicity problems either on new or existing installations. The OXY-FLO system is set up at the factory providing a plug-and-play solution when it arrives on site. The intuitive touch-screen interface allows fine-tuning once installed on site with historical data logging of events and alarm notifications contributing to the refinement process.

The OXY-FLO system uses triple compensation to ensure dosing is carried out effectively and efficiently. By measuring temperature, H2S levels and pumped flow, OXY-FLO adapts its output to dose the perfect amount of chemical required for the specific and changing site conditions.

The OXY-FLO system comes as a compact package including intelligent duty-standby dosing pumps, a powerful PLC controller, Hi-Resolution HMI touch screen interface, external alarm indication, safety shower/eye-wash facility and temperature and H2S sensing probes. The entire system is neatly packaged in an innovative GRP kiosk with its own retractable weather-resistant roof and doors, making the OXY-FLO an indispensable piece of innovation for Water Utilities

The Cork town of Fermoy, on the banks of the Munster Blackwater, has a long history of flooding.  In 2015 , following more recent and high profile flooding,  the second stage of The Fermoy Munster Blackwater Flood Drainage Scheme scheme was completed to protect the town from future flood conditions.

FM Environmental supplied and installed 16 submersible Xylem stormwater pumps and pumping stations as part of the flood defence scheme which faced its first real test over the Christmas period when confronted with the force of Storm Frank.

At the request of the Office of Public Works (OPW), FM Environmental engineers were in attendance on site as a precautionary measure during the storm and witnessed the Blackwater rise to historic levels.

To the relief of the locals watching with bated breaths the defences held and the new pumping stations kept the town flood-free

Photos: Flood defences under construction (right) and the Munster Blackwater at peak level with the flood barriers in position (below)

Representatives from Ireland, UK, France and Spain were hosted by FM Environmental (Malta) on a three day visit to the beautiful island nation of Malta.

As well as relaxation, visits were made to different types of installations to see how different types of kitchen wastes from different styles of cuisine are treated.

These included cafes, fish restaurants, italian and american style pizzerias, fried chicken, supermarkets, fresh meat preparation, asian and north african/middle eastern cuisine.

The visit also included a visit to the expanded production facilites of the D-series Grease Guardian as well as the new X-series, D10 centralised grease traps and marine grease traps.

Coinciding with the annual Commonwealth conference meetings, not even the Queen of Britain could get an invite to the hottest ticket in town.

Many thanks to the team at FM Environmental (Malta) for making this visit so successful.

Right, is part of the Crusader town of Medina where a GGX25 (below) has been installed within a 400 year old palace converted to a restaurant.

Tim joins FM Environmental having worked as Company Accountant with Camseng International, Coca Cola and FPM Accountants.

A Strangford man originally Tim now lives in Mayobridge, Co. Down with wife Kathy and their five children. Tim will join the experienced Gerard Torley and Nuala Carroll in the FM Environmental Finance and Administration team.

We wish Tim our warmest welcome and look forward to his important contribution to the continued success of FM Environmental.

Pat joined in 1988 when Fitzpatrick Systems and PWS merged to form FM System, later to become FM Environmental. He helped steer the Company from a local pumping and wastewater treatment contractor to an international engineering and manufacturing operation with companies in Ireland, Malta, Malaysia and more recently, New York.

A keen GAA follower, as well as an avid soccer fan, Pat intends to enjoy his retirement following his beloved Kilcoo through the Ulster Championship as well as taking in the occasional jaunt to Old Trafford to catch his almost-as-beloved Manchester United.

FM Environmental would like to express our gratitude to Pat for his loyal service and contribution throughout his time here and wishes both him and wife Geraldine the very best in his retirement.