Environmental

Southeys Environmental Management System

Our system has been designed to aid the company in our environmental performance and is to used to assist Southeys in accomplishing the environmental objectives that have been developed, and to ensure the maintenance of a high standard of environmental performance.  This page will provide key updates as we deliver on our objectives.

2020 Key Achievement Water recycling

Hydro excavation works by pumping water in at low pressure and then sucking it back out again along with the debris. To do this, Southeys uses 100 percent recycled water from the ponds at its consented disposal facility.

The combination of advanced hydro excavation techniques, excavator design, and innovative material processing, results in a water positive system. In other words, Southeys recovers more water from its activities on civil construction sites than it uses during hydro excavation.

The innovative recovery system combines natural and mechanical filtration steps, which are quality controlled, ensuing Southeys’ process water meets industry standards.

“Our trucks use about 830 cubic metres of water per month, so it’s important we are doing our part to use recycled water,” says Rob. “I’m sure our clients appreciate that.

“We’ve operated this way for quite some time now, but the recent water shortages in Auckland has brought the issue to the fore. The drought and water restrictions that have been in place for much of 2020 haven’t had an impact on our operation thanks to the sustainable approach we took from the outset.”

Each year, in Auckland, Southeys recycles around 22,000,000 litres of water from construction sites, with 11,500,000 litres used in hydro excavation.

Rob says the company’s water recycling capacity will increase in 2021 as it introduces a new recycling technology to the market.