Monmouth-based Siltbuster has won a Construction News Specialist Award.

The company was declared Equipment Supplier of The Year for the way it has helped tackle the polluted wastewaters created on construction sites.

The judges said: “Siltbuster is a national gem in the making. It is a business that is, in one sense, an equipment supplier but takes industry know-how to a level of product development that deserves a world stage… it’s an ambassador of British ingenuity.”

Siltbuster’s range of innovative equipment, which it manufactures at its £4.3m purpose-built facility in Monmouth, includes the EcoClear which is used during hydro-demolition. When high-pressure water is used to break up concrete, the water’s pH level shoots up from a neutral 7 to a highly alkaline 12 – similar to oven cleaner.

If this toxic water is released it can kill fish and devastate local ecosystems.

Siltbuster’s EcoClear treats this water, making it safe to pour down the drain or release to the watercourse.

During the past year Siltbuster has also developed the iHB20R system. Specifically designed for use on the massive Northern line extension project, this kit not only removes the solids generated during tunneling from the site water, but it also adjusts pH levels.

As well as benefiting major UK projects such as the Northern Line, Hinkley Point C and Thames Tideway, the company’s innovative equipment has also been used in France on the €23bn Grand Paris Express rail expansion and in Qatar on the Doha Metro.

While Siltbuster’s product innovation impressed the judging panel of industry experts, who applauded the way the company is training the construction industry.

Last year 900 construction workers from 40 companies around the UK attended Siltbuster’s training programmes to learn about the causes of on-site water pollution and how they can avoid it.

Dr Richard Coulton, CEO of Siltbuster, said: “To have our work within the construction industry – especially our commitment to innovation and the environment - recognised in this way is a fantastic accolade for us and our team. We’ve a serious goal to establish a world-renowned centre for water treatment excellence here in Wales and this award is a clear sign that we are on track to achieve that vision.”