Blocked Soakaway

Rhianfa

My property has a septic tank that needs emptying more and more frequently. Does this mean the soakaway is blocked?
If so, is there any way to unblock it please?
Thx

EricMears

Rhianfa wrote: »

My property has a septic tank that needs emptying more and more frequently. Does this mean the soakaway is blocked?
If so, is there any way to unblock it please?
Thx

A septic tank shouldn't ever need 'emptying' - although it might occasionally need to be 'de-sludged'

If it needs emptying because it's got too full then it probably does mean that the treated liquor isn't able to escape. That could well be a blockage in the pipework - which would be really unpleasant to locate & then unblock. Drain rods & a lot of patience are about the only answer

But if you have a 'soakaway' rather than the more usual 'leach field' it may just mean that the water table is far higher than it was when the soakaway was first put in and of course a soakaway can't soak away if the surrounding ground is wet. Soakaways can also get blocked if a lot of clay material seeps in - effectively 'sealing' it; that would need the soakaway pit to be dug out then re-filled with clean aggregate (and the top covered with a membrane to stop more clay getting in).

Suspect that any suggestions would be of limited help to you unless they come from someone who has actually inspected your system.

EricMears

My sister & her husband had a problem with their (very old) septic tank trying to discharge to their low-lying garden where soil had a high clay content. At one stage they were pumping semi-treated contents of tank to a corner of an adjacent field !

I managed to find them a local (to them in Cambs) company who specialise in converting old septic tanks into modern 'treatment plants' (much like the one I have here). See here for details. They claim to offer a nationwide service but you might find a local (to you) firm that does something similar without the travelling expenses.

If you did something similar, the effluent wouldn't necessarily have to go into your existing soakaway but could be collected in a small tank then pumped (uphill ?) to a newer, more efficient soakaway / leach field or even pumped directly to a nearby watercourse (which might require permission from Environment Agency).

Just been re-reading their webpage. They do strongly suggest that any septic tank problems might be covered by an existing home insurance policy and seem to be suggesting that they'd help you prepare an insurance claim.