A septic tank system has a relatively simple design. It is an underground watertight container mostly rectangular or round made of fibre glass, plastic or concrete. The Compartments in a septic tank and normally a T-shaped outlet prevent the sludge and scum from leaving the tank and travelling into the drain field area. Septic tank systems are a type of simple onsite sewage facility OSSF and only provide a basic treatment. For homes that have poor drainage or are not connected to the mains sewage network septic tanks allow a safe disposal of wastewater.
They work by collecting the excreta and wastewater in one big underground tank, they are predominantly used in rural areas.
Septic tanks are installed underground normally 50 metres away from the household. They are usually made up of two chambers or compartments and one tank that receives wastewater from an inlet pipe. For those that live in cities and towns septic tanks are not needed as waste water will be transported and dealt with their sewage system. A septic system will allow any house to use water facilities as normal.
However,there are additional precautions that need to be adhered to. Regular maintenance of the septic tank will also be required. Homeowners with a septic tank have an additional duty to ensure their tank does not impact the local environment. For example, If the drain field is overloaded with too much liquid, it can flood, causing sewage to flow to the ground surface or create backups in toilets and sinks. A septic tank will digest organic matter and separate float able matter e.
The inlet pipe is used to transport the water waste from the house and collect it in the septic tank. This can be expensive; it may need significant amounts of soil to be imported, and could need a pump to be installed to get the waste water into the mound.
Well drained soil with more than 2 metres of soil above the water table is the best option. If no ground is suitable for a soakaway then the outflow from the septic tank will need further treatment before entering a watercourse. This could be done using a package treatment plant, or biological filters.
Discharges can also be further treated using a properly constructed reed bed, or by using a gravel filter. Both these options will require a large area of ground. A properly constructed soakaway is the best option for dealing with the discharge from your septic tank.
What shouldn't go into a septic tank. Maintaining your septic tank. Register your septic tank. What can go wrong with a septic tank.
In terms of both the physical operation and maintenance of a septic tank system, and legal accountability should it fail and pollute the environment, the operator of the system is the one responsible. According to the UK government, you are deemed to be the operator if any of the following is true:. If still unsure, you should contact your national environment agency to find out if you are an operator. It is a legal requirement of the operator to inform the buyer in writing about off-main sewage systems for the property and to provide a detailed description of its use, location, required maintenance and up to 7 years worth of maintenance history.
If your septic tank is nearing the end of its life span, the buyer will need to know this, and you may need to consider renegotiating the selling price to account for the system being replaced or to have the work carried out yourself before selling. When buying an house with an off-mains system it is important to understand that you will be taking on full responsibility for said system and so should endeavour to find out as much as possible about it.
They should be able to answer most of these questions very easily, so be wary if they seem unsure. However, because the system is all underground, it can be difficult to ascertain the condition of the tank and pipework. This is something you are likely going to have to insist on being properly inspected. For this you will need to have a Homebuyer Drainage Survey carried out by a suitably qualified inspector. This in-depth report will tell you all you need to know about the health of the system and whether there are any issues that should be addressed to ensure trouble-free use after your purchase of the property.
Legislation for England prevents septic tanks from discharging into watercourses from 1st January , and require operators to update their system with a drainage field, sewage treatment plant, or other off-mains drainage solution. This must happen either when a property is sold or as soon as possible. All new septic tanks must be installed with a drainage field to comply.
Find out more about how the new rules and regulations affect septic tanks. In England, you aren't required to register a septic tank with the Environment Agency, but may need a permit in certain circumstances. In Wales and Scotland septic tanks need to be registered with the environment authority. The size of your septic tank should relate to the number of people it will service.
Septic tanks are usually categorised firstly by their capacity and then by the number of people they can service, so you need to be able to determine the minimum population size of your property as well as the volume of sewage and wastewater that your property is likely to produce. For these reasons, we would recommend reading our dedicated how to size a septic tank or sewage treatment plant guide to ensure you are selecting the right capacity for your property. Drainage field size depends on the size of your property, number of occupants, and the results of percolations tests to determine soil condition.
It's a tricky calculation to get right, but our guide to sizing a drainage field can help get you started. You must have both planning permission and building regulations approval to install a new septic tank.
This will depend largely on the size of the system required, the conditions of your installation site and even the weather.
Installation of a septic tank should be carried out by drainage contractors and professionals, it is not recommended to install one yourself. Alongside all of the legal steps to take before installing a septic tank, most issues and problems occur due to incorrect or faulty installation. If you've got the skills though, read through our how to install a septic tank guide.
Toilet paper labeled as "biodegradable" require less water to break down, and will dissolve at a much faster rate than regular toilet paper, and is less likely to cause a blockage in the system. Normal household bleach, if used in moderation, should be fine for use with septic tank drainage systems, but try to avoid any extra strong bleach products as these could negatively affect the bacteria in the tank that works to break down the solids.
Most multipurpose household cleaning products and laundry detergents are fine for use in moderation, but ideally you will want to go for ones that are mild and phosphate free if possible. The problem with septic tanks and cleaning products is that too many chemicals entering the system can disrupt the bacteria balance and eventually lead to major problems such as the tank clogging up and harmful waste leaching into the groundwater.
The main thing though is to just avoid any high strength chemicals, use all cleaning products in moderation and do not use things like liquid drain cleaners on a regular basis, as those types of chemicals are extremely caustic. Do not dispose of cat litter, sanitary products, nappies, cigarette butts, anything plastic or non-biodegradable, such as ear plugs and dental floss if you have a septic tank.
Avoid disposing of flushable wipes, face wipes, cosmetics, fats or cooking oil, antibacterial handwash and cleaners, food scraps and coffee grinds. Septic tanks are typically emptied once every 12 months, but can be more frequent depending on tank size, operation and usage. It is imperative that you do have it desludged and serviced by a registered carrier as regularly as the manufacturer advises to ensure that the septic tank continues to work properly.
It is the responsibility of the person deemed to be the operator of the system to have the septic tank regularly emptied. If you start to see toilets flushing more slowly or overflowing, or dirty water pooling above the septic tank or drainage field, the septic tank is either full or there is a blockage somewhere in the system.
Listen to the advice given to you by your desludging or servicing engineer. They'll tell you if the tank seems to be filling up more quickly than expected or if they start to see issues starting to arise.
It is a legal requirement to ensure that you only have your septic tank emptied by a registered waste carrier.
Do not be attempt to empty it yourself. As the person responsible for the system and its maintenance it is recommended that you ask the company you use to confirm their registered status and ask to see a copy of their waste certificate. If the company was found to be dumping the waste from your tank illegally pleading ignorance of them not being a registered carrier would not do you any favours.
If your septic tank has multiple chambers both should be pumped and emptied according to the manufacturer servicing schedule, or as often as your tank size and usage requires. This is because, while it is the inlet side that will see the largest build up of sludge, the outlet side in a multi-chamber tank acts as a second settlement stage that will still see some solid material build up over time.
It is recommended that you have a service agreement for your tank and set up an annual desludging contract with a registered carrier. Both of these are critical to the longevity of your system. It is also a requirement of the new PPG4 guidelines. Aside from this, there are other things that you can do yourself to help prolong the life of your septic tank and soakaway drainage field. These include:. Read our septic tank installation guide for tips on how best to maintain your septic tank system.
A change in ground conditions, a faulty baffle or dip pipe, tree or plant root damage and the age of the system are leading faults of septic tanks.
A properly installed, serviced and maintained septic tank system should operate problem free for many years. The layer of scum floating at the top of a septic tank forms naturally as part of the separation process.
A properly maintained septic tank should never smell! If you notice a bad drain smell in your house or out near the drainage field, this is a sign that there is a problem with the system and you should have it checked out by a professional.
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