Spaans Babcock Ltd

Spaans Babcock was established in 1897 and has been supplying equipment into the water industry since this date. The company are the world’s largest supplier of Archimedes screws having thousands of screws installed throughout the UK & tens of thousands worldwide.

Additionally the company supply, install and maintain aeration equipment (surface and brush aerators), screens and screenings handling equipment, a complete range of flow isolation equipment including penstocks, flap valves and stop-boards.

Over recent years the company has expanded significantly with the addition of Archimedes screw generators to its product range. This is a natural progression for the product which is perfectly suited to low head applications, they offer several advantages over alternative technologies including no requirement for fine screens, fish friendliness, non-blocking and low maintenance due to the simple & robust design. The screw generator is offered in various alternative designs to suit given site circumstances.

Spaans have agreements in place with many of the UK Water companies & agencies for the design, manufacture, supply, installation and maintenance of their equipment.

Centrally based in Heywood, the company offers a full range of services from supply only contracts through to development of complete bespoke packages. Project management is handled by the companies own project teams and the company has its own SHE officer to ensure compliance with the stringent UK requirements. All installation and maintenance work is handled by in house teams of engineers.

Buxton STW (2022)

Improving phosphorus performance and providing treatment resilience using preliminary and primary treatment for an existing MBR on a space constrained site

Carlisle WwTW (2022)

Carlisle WwTW lies within United Utilities’ north Cumbria region. The site is located to the north-west of Carlisle’s city centre, on the banks of the River Eden, and serves the city of Carlisle. The treatment works receives domestic sewage, trade flows, and tankered imports, providing primary and secondary treatment prior to discharge to the River […]

Carlisle WwTW (2021)

Carlisle WwTW is in north Cumbria, which is part of United Utilities’ northern area. The site is located to the north west of Carlisle’s city centre, on the banks of the River Eden, and serves the city of Carlisle. The treatment works receives domestic sewage, trade flows, and tankered imports, providing primary and secondary treatment […]

SWELL - Strabane WwTW (2021)

The Shared Waters Enhancement & Loughs Legacy (SWELL) project, funded by the EU INTERREG VA Programme, considered wastewater assets with the greatest potential to improve water quality within the Carlingford Lough and Lough Foyle drainage catchments. This included for a major upgrade to the inlet works at Strabane WwTW. In recent times, excessive flows arriving […]

Barston STW (2019)

Barston Sewage Treatment Works (STW) is one of Severn Trent’s medium sized treatment works. The site is located to the east of Birmingham in the West Midlands. The STW treats foul water for the catchment serving Solihull, Shirley, Knowle and other outlying conurbations. It currently serves a population of 39,741 which will increase to 76,036. […]

Davyhulme WwTW Modernisation Project (2019)

Davyhulme Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW) is United Utilities (UU) largest, serving over 1.3 million customers across Greater Manchester. Built in 1894, it has seen continuous development in wastewater treatment including the invention of the activated sludge process (ASP) by Ardern & Lockett in 1914. Incoming flows from the combined sewer network can reach 30m3/s, the […]

Finham STW Activated Sludge Plant (2019)

Finham Sewage Treatment Works (STW) serves a population equivalent of 430,470 for Coventry and its environs. The existing processes include preliminary treatment, primary settlement, a plug flow activated sludge plant (ASP) and final settlement tanks. The site is also a sludge reception centre and has the capability to treat indigenous and imported sludges. The sludge […]

Bransholme Surface Water Pumping Station (2017)

Hull’s response to the 2007 flooding that affected thousands of homes in the Bransholme catchment is now complete and operational. This saw Yorkshire Water appoint Black & Veatch (now Binnies) to carry out a feasibility study followed by a design and build contract for a new pumping station. The new Bransholme Surface Water Pumping Station (SWPS), […]

Davyhulme WwTW Modernisation Project (2017)

Davyhulme WwTW is United Utilities’ largest wastewater treatment works, which serves over one million people in Greater Manchester; it has been undergoing a £200 million modernisation process, which started on site in 2015 and is now close to construction completion. The upgrade is required to ensure it complies with tighter discharge consents and the impact […]

Davyhulme WwTW Modernisation Project (2016)

Located in the North West of England, Davyhulme wastewater treatment works (WwTW) is United Utilities largest works, serving over 1 million customers across Greater Manchester. The works are currently facing several future challenges, namely (i) the tightening of the ammonia (NH3) permit limit from 3mg/l to 1mg/l to comply with the requirements of the Freshwater […]

Field Service Engineer (Fort William)

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Gilkes has an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and motivated Hydro Field Service Engineer (Fort William) to join our well-established engineering organisation, based in Fort William, Scotland. As part of a busy service team and reporting to the Field Service Supervisor, you will play a key role in providing front line customer support.The ...

Field Service Engineer (Invergordon)

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Gilkes has an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and motivated Hydro Field Service Engineer (Invergordon) to join our well-established engineering organisation, based in Invergordon, Scotland. As part of a busy service team and reporting to the Field Service Supervisor, you will play a key role in providing front line customer support.The ...

Hydro Fitter

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We are recruiting for a fitter to join our hydro team. An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Fitter to join our well-established engineering organisation, based at our head office in Kendal, Cumbria. Reporting to the Fitter Supervisor, you ...

Field Service Engineer (Fort William)

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Sectors: Mechanical Engineering

Categories: Project Delivery, Site Engineers

Locations: Scotland

Apply by: 11 Mar 2026

Contract: Full Time

Gilkes has an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and motivated Hydro Field Service Engineer (Fort William) to join our well-established engineering organisation, based in Fort William, Scotland.

As part of a busy service team and reporting to the Field Service Supervisor, you will play a key role in providing front line customer support.

The Service Engineer plays a key role in maintaining customer assets to the highest levels The role has the following key elements:

Troubleshooting – ability to quickly & effectively analyse and solve problems under pressure
Emergency response – provide after-hours support (call-out) when required
Safety – follow all on-site rules and regulations

Responsibilities Include:

Performing troubleshooting, repair, maintenance and routine inspection of hydro-electric turbines and ancillary equipment
Providing emergency response, after-hours support when required
Liaising with other internal departments to ensure excellent levels of customer service
Generate service and technical reports and be capable of working within a ‘permit to work’ environment is required
Familiar with the following principals: Mechanical, Electrical, Hydraulic & Control Systems

For full details and to apply, please visit our careers page on the link provided.

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What we do:

Renewables & Energy Management: Hydro Electric

Treatment Process Technologies: Activated Sludge Plant | Oxidation Ditches | Sludge Treatment | Treatment Stage - Preliminary | Treatment Stage - Secondary