A BURY-based water treatment company has tasted success in its quest to capture a key environmental accreditation.

And Bury Business Environment Association (BEA) helped Wells Water Treatment Services, located at St James Avenue, Woolfold, to achieve the influential ISO 14001standard by providing a £600 grant which went towards the overall £900 cost of achieving ISO 14001 status.

This particular accreditation rewards good environmental practice such as recycling and ensuring that chemicals and other waste are disposed of properly.

Wells Water Treatment Services, which is a member of Bury BEA, is run by 26-year-old businessman Chris Halliwell.

The five-strong firm was launched in 1998 and has expanded rapidly to capture a firm foothold in the water treatment sector. Wells carries out tank refurbishment, hot and cold down water services, cooling towers treatment, service cleaning to chilled water and other systems and the cleaning and sterilisation of air handling units.

Now, the ISO 14001 standard should provide Chris and his team with a greater competitive edge in its tendering process.

Explained Chris: "Getting this standard has already allowed us to start pricing for different contracts. We just missed out on a £5 million contract for the Ministry of Defence."A lot of companies we do price work tenders for specify they deal with businesses which have either ISO 14001 or 9001."

Wells Water has just been awarded a contract for water treatment-related work at Bury and Fairfield general hospitals.

Bury Business Environment Association can provide 66 per cent of overall costs, up to £2,000, to help companies with the potential for ISO 14001 and also give grants towards environmental audits, waste minimisation, energy conservation and health and safety consultation work. Contact John Gibson at the BEA on 763 4185.