It depends on the unit’s size and how much incoming water flow it handles, but all full retention oil and water separators need to be maintained regularly for optimal performance.
In the case of a Spillceptor, cleaning is triggered once an unacceptable level of oil and sediment accumulates in the first chamber of the unit. The trigger level can vary from site to site however operation of the Spillceptor would be unaffected with 100mm of oil and 200mm of silt in the first chamber.
The risks of not maintaining a separator unit include underperformance and hydrocarbon contaminants being discharged into the surrounding environment. The knock-on effect is that sites cannot meet their environment and compliance obligations.