03 February 2020

University awards top marks to green weed control solution

Churchill College, Cambridge has made the moral move over to a hot water weed control system. Switching from chemical spraying to 100% hot water means they can kill weeds while protecting the environment around them.

“We wanted a more natural approach to our weed control, the chemical based options have an impact on people and wildlife and that just doesn’t sit well with us as a college. When we are looking at the best way to maintain our grounds, our impact on the environment has to be considered, and the hot water weed control systems enables us to stay weed free and chemical free across most of our 42 acre site.”

John Moore, Head of Grounds and Gardens.

John contacted Multevo and they recommended using the Dutch Manufactured Waterkracht hot water weed control system. It is efficient, effective and ecological. It delivers hot water at a low pressure consistently at 98 degrees, successfully destroying the cellular structure of the target plant. Churchill College have seen immediate results, they use the system predominately on pathways and car parks, for tackling any annuals, dandelions and grass. It has also had a positive impact on their ability to treat areas more efficiently.

“We have always avoided using chemicals in some locations; children’s play areas for example. We can now use the hot water weed control system there because we know it’s safe. An area that would have taken us a month to hand weed now takes a week. This has meant that these areas are being treated more often, creating a better standard of ground maintenance.”

John Moore, Head of Grounds and Gardens.

Multevo’s hot water weed control system can be used all year and in all weathers, a valuable selling point for Churchill College. After considering both a foam based and electric based option, it was the versatility of Multevo’s system that impressed them the most. The ability to choose from a selection of tank sizes also meant they were able to purchase the maximum tank volume for their specific site. The health and safety impact on staff was also a key consideration, the fact that the operators only needed to wear safety gloves means that even in high temperatures they can still work, eliminating chemicals means no full body suit.

“Staff have responded really well to the new system, it’s already done far more hours than we originally anticipated. They can now work without fear of harming themselves, the people on campus or the wildlife around us. We are extremely pleased with the product and have found dealing with Multevo straightforward, the machine was delivered on time and the demonstrations were great.”

John Moore, Head of Grounds and Gardens.

Churchill College, Cambridge has been awarded Platinum in the Cambridge University Green Impact awards for the past two years, an accolade that John Moore and his team are very proud of. They are determined to continue working towards an environmentally friendly approach to ground maintenance. The decision to ditch the chemicals and turn to hot water has proved to be a positive one for both the planet and the standard of their 42-acre site.

“We are thrilled that John and his team are seeing immediate results and that the hot water weed control system has been so well received by everyone. It’s a fantastic system that not only kills weeds, but can also be used as a high pressure cleaner, effective for removing graffiti and chewing gum. We look forward to offering continued support to ensure John gets the best out of his new machine.”

Nick Carter, Director, Multevo.

Multevo specialises in delivering innovate answers to industry problems and 2020 marks a decade of delivering innovation to customers for the company. Multevo introduced the hot water weed control solutions to the UK market place in 2015 and are the sole distributor of Waterkracht weed control equipment. They are committed to ensuring a safer solution to weed control and will continue to promote the benefits of a chemical free weed killer.

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