sepic tank

david29dpo

we have a sepic tank and soakaway, the soakaway is not working properly in wet weather and can get rid of the water fast enough. this backs up sometimes and blocks the pipes from the houses. is there anything we can do about this or do we need to dig the field up and replace it? it only 11 years old but i think the builder may have not done a good job of it. any ideas please?

MickKnipfler

Can't you extend/improve the soakaway?

Confused_Jo

If it is only not working in wet weather it sounds like a capacity issue. If it is not working at any other time it may be blinded (the stones are overloaded with the gunk made by the bacteria to treat the waste water).


Have you thought of making it a seasonal soakaway? Are you close enough to a water course so that in heavy rain a perforated pipe would discharge water to the stream which would be adequately diluted to not cause a problem? Then in try weather it can soakaway into the ground.

I work for the Environment Agency and will try to find the guidance I've given out when looking at soakaway for sizes etc. Will try to get you the info this week.

bobmacuk

I empty septics for a living,

just a few quick questions

1. when was the last time u had it emptied
2. How many people live at property
3. How often do you have it emptied
4. What type is it

david29dpo

bobmacuk wrote:

I empty septics for a living,

just a few quick questions

1. when was the last time u had it emptied
2. How many people live at property
3. How often do you have it emptied
4. What type is it

we have it emptied every 6 months. there are 10 people on it. i have no idea how big it is.

asharon

Should be big enough.

Mine is layed slightly wrongly so I have to go out and rod the pipes regularly. Sounds like someone might be using too much loo paper or maybe putting things down the loo they shouldn't like sanitary towels ? Even if not try rodding it regularly and making sure the tank is emptying properly.

paul_h

Here's another question... Do you live near water or on low lying land?

The water table can seriously affect the ability to disperse the overflow from the leaching field (soakaway). As the water table rises after rain in areas with porous soils (near rivers, for example), this could be a candidate.

A specialist can dig a test pit near to your leaching field to check this.

david29dpo

the soakaway is in a very wet field, but works most of the time ok. sometimes it cannot get rid of the water fast enough and backs up the last 20 feet of so of the inlet pipe. when this happens, when someone as a crap, so to speek, the last bit of the pipe is full of water and so stops just short of the tank. someone else as a crap and this hits the last one and so on. this causes a blockage and i have to rod it. this would not bother me, but the tank is on next doors garden and she moans!!

paul_h

I bet she does!

Also, if it's a water table issue, you will also find it worse in winter.

bobmacuk

if you have two house going into it u may find a desludge twice a year isnt enough.
What type is it if its is an old brick one are the dip pipes still intact or laying at the bottom of the pit?

david29dpo

its a modern bell type.2000 liters 11 years old. for the people using it the size is fine.