Septic tanks

Richard_Webster

In the early 1970s my father in law built a new bungalow and my wife, then a teenager, spent her summer holiday digging out a 14' deep septic tank. The property was sold in 2008 and the tank had never been emptied!

Septic tanks and cesspits are not the same. Cesspits always need emptying every few months - septic tanks generally don't need this quite so often.

Werdnal

If you can find out the estimated size of it, ring a couple of licensed waste carriers in the area - check the Yellow Pages, to get a rough quote for emptying. Ask the vendor who they use or for a copy of the last invoice for emptying (usually it depends on the amount of waste they take away rather than a fixed call out charge, as the carrier has to pay to dispose of it), but an idea of the "maximum" size will give you a worst case scenario.

Don't be fobbed off by the response "Oh the local farmer does me a favour and takes it in his tanker". That used to be common place, and human waste could even be spread on the fields, but no longer the case and if you are caught employing someone not licensed to deal with it, you will be fined as well as them!

You will also have to ensure that the females in the household don't flush "anything" down the loo, as this can cause blockages. Even things like wipes, cotton wool and ear buds are not recommended!

However, the odd bit of food waste can help promote the good bugs and get the system working well. I flush uneaten cat food down the loo, and it is often suggested by country people that chucking a dead rabbit or chicken into the tank is a good "primer" for it!

kanute50

The house we are renting has a septic tank. It only needs emptying once a year, which the Landlord arranges, so of course I don't know what this costs. Our water rates are only £8.99 per month over 8 months. Can't be bad. I certainly wouldn't be put off a house due to it having a septic tank.

Samantha99

I'm purchasing a house with a septic too. Having read this thread I think I should get the tank inspected prior to exchange, especially as the vendor says he doesn't know when it was installed. How much would this inspection cost does anyone know?

Or is the onus on the vendor to have the tank inspected ?

Am I right in saying that a new tank would cost thousands as it would have to be sited in a different place and a new soak away built?

G_M

I share a tank with my neighbour.

He empties it once a year at a cost of around £120, and I give him half.

It is cheaper than the sewerage charge from the water company.

I keep meaning to suggest he only empties it every 2 or 3 years as it really should not need annual emptying.

As explained above, a septic tank distributes clean water tothe fields and the solids break down by bacterialogical action in the tank.

But do make sure it is not a cess pit!

If you do share the tank, get your solicitor to check that the appropriate rights are in place ie a Deed or similar allowing you to use the neighbour's tank, repair it if necessary etc

Reliag

Hi Jimmy
I have a septic tank and recently found a website called septictanksandcesspits dot com.
Depending where you live, you can get an instant quote and book online. Very easy and cheaper than my last empty!!

phoebe1989seb

We bought a house in a rural location two years ago that has a septic tank solely for the use of our property. We were advised that it doesn't need emptying annually - perhaps every two-three years - and will be getting it done next year. It's no problem at all - apart from remembering not to use bleach etc - and DH is convinced that the plants in areas of the garden where the pipes soak away are larger/healthier

troubleinparadise

G_M wrote: »

I share a tank with my neighbour.

He empties it once a year at a cost of around £120, and I give him half.

It is cheaper than the sewerage charge from the water company.

I keep meaning to suggest he only empties it every 2 or 3 years as it really should not need annual emptying.

As explained above, a septic tank distributes clean water tothe fields and the solids break down by bacterialogical action in the tank.

But do make sure it is not a cess pit!

If you do share the tank, get your solicitor to check that the appropriate rights are in place ie a Deed or similar allowing you to use the neighbour's tank, repair it if necessary etc

Whilst that might be a bit more MSE, where you have a shared septic tank and are sharing the costs emptying it annually, it does reduce possible neighbour conflicts with regard to it not working so well due to either excessive chemicals or flushed "hygiene" products....

In my rural area, this seems to be an issue that spoils the best of neighbourly relationships once an unpleasant aroma starts, or backing up of the pipes into houses... so slightly more frequent than perhaps necessary emptying can keep the peace!

Davesnave

Samantha99 wrote: »

I'm purchasing a house with a septic too. Having read this thread I think I should get the tank inspected prior to exchange, especially as the vendor says he doesn't know when it was installed. How much would this inspection cost does anyone know?

Or is the onus on the vendor to have the tank inspected ?

Am I right in saying that a new tank would cost thousands as it would have to be sited in a different place and a new soak away built?

I'd imagine a full inspection would be difficult, but those familiar with tanks might give one a visual check for you and know something of tell-tale signs. If you are having a survey, you might get it included, but some surveyors might not wish to do more than a cursory check, or will cover their back with caveats.

Unless there's a glaring fault, the vendor will likely refuse to pay for a survey and say that the tank is fine. I would!

It isn't often that the tank will need renewal. Over many years the outflow becomes blocked, leading to poor performance. It's then a matter of installing new perforated pipes in a gravel lined trench encased in landscaping fabric. Not a big job, but it requires a digger.

Nowadays, if a complete new tank is needed, many people opt to put in a treatment system instead, thus heading off at the pass any future extra demands from the Environment Agency. They strengthened the rules re septic tanks in 2010.

Elsewhere

We have lived in our present house for 30 years and have had the septic tank emptied twice.

I am careful but not obsessive about what household chemicals I use - for instance if you look at the small print on loo cleaner you'll find "Safe for septic tanks" on some of them, so that's what I buy. But the odd bit of bleach goes down (not vast amounts!) and I use bio washing powder. Many years ago, when my children were babies and I used terry nappies I didn't ever pour the nappy soaking water with Nappisan (or whatever that stuff was called!) down the loo. (I dumped it on the drive - it's an excellent moss killer). I don't flush away random things like out of date medicine either - which I know some people do. You can return unwanted medicine to the chemist for disposal.

Avoid carbolic soap. I bought some at the Victorian chemist in the Ironbridge Victorian village - the septic tank really didn't react well :eek:

Inspecting a tank - first of all, if it's working well it won't smell nearby - you'd have to take the cover off if you want a whiff. Secondly, a good fermentation gives a thick froth on the surface - inches thick - which shows the tank is digesting. Thirdly if you have a very long stick and poke down to the bottom of the tank there shouldn't be a thick sludge sitting on its floor. Maybe a few inches, but if its getting on for a foot or more the tank either needs emptying or it isn't/hasn't been working well. If the heavy sludge builds up too much it can eventually block the outlet for the water to soak into the next chamber, or wash the sludge into the next chamber and choke it up.

Whoops - one more thing - soggy ground. If it's marshy near the tank the second chamber is blocked or the inlet drains are cracked - you can usually tell which by the location of the wet ground.

Also if you have neighbours I assume they will also have septic tanks. If there are any soggy bits of ground near boundaries with neighbours it may be due to their tank - may not be a problem if you fancy a bit of bog garden or you have oodles of land!

The whole of our village used to have septic tanks, but as houses gradually infilled soaking away the waste water became a real problem (even though all the houses have a third of an acre or more of garden). The majority of the village was put onto main drainage in the 1980s.