Septic drainfield/soakaway problem

that

Davesnave wrote: »

As an aside, another neighbour's drain field, built at the same time as ours, began giving trouble roughly when ours became blocked. They had it jetted, nothing else, and this resolved the problem to an extent, but I can see that the black sludge is surfacing again in winter. I don't complain because one of this couple is very ill, it's in a place far from our house and there's little impact on our agricultural activity. However, I know what the end game will be, because renewal in that place isn't an option due to changed regulations. They'll need a treatment plant.

I agree on the worms. They would drown, and they take months to mature and a month to multiply in ideal conditions. Think they are praying on desperate people.

My friend had a two chamber rectangular septic tank with a concrete top, no idea what the tank was made of though. Reading net pages, especially after the public water treatment comment, aerated effluent does solve the matting problem and reverse it - too many lemmings can't be wrong, especially on the internet . if you read and come to the same conclusion, and they are good people, and have a spare £10 fish tank pump you could be doing them a favour at a time when is is not going well for them.

Davesnave

that wrote: »

if you read and come to the same conclusion, and they are good people, and have a spare £10 fish tank pump you could be doing them a favour at a time when is is not going well for them.

The septic tank is across the road from their house in a wild garden they no longer visit. I'm afraid there's no way to get power to it.

bluewater

I'm surprised that no one has suggested installing a cesspit. Is it capacity and emptying frequency?

We have just moved to a house with a cesspit. It's a 1950's house and I think the cesspit is original. It was emptied just before we moved (£130) and previous owner said they emptied it once a year. They had lived there for 30 years.

I was initially disappointed that it wasn't a ceptic tank but after reading about new rules regarding discharge into ditches etc I felt more comfortable with the cesspit. Time will tell.

Davesnave

Time will tell, indeed. People selling houses have been known to be 'economical with the truth.'


New cesspits are already banned in Scotland and an emptying frequency of once a year is unusually long. Most people see them as an old-fashioned and inferior way with dealing with waste water.

silvercar

Davesnave wrote: »

The septic tank is across the road from their house in a wild garden they no longer visit. I'm afraid there's no way to get power to it.

Solar power?

Davesnave

silvercar wrote: »

Solar power?

Where there's a will...eh?

This is a wild piece of land which doesn't lend itself to that, due to large trees, both there and in our copse beyond. Even our laurels, planted to hide a second very objectionable neighbour, have struggled.

They're not poor, just tied -up with medical stuff, so we're not bothering them over a bit of black sludge in the field corner. Being brutally honest, long term, we'd rather the pipe and their waste wasn't there at all.

that

Davesnave wrote: »

New cesspits are already banned in Scotland and an emptying frequency of once a year is unusually long. Most people see them as an old-fashioned and inferior way with dealing with waste water.

Yes, if the ground in not porous, then they may have to get pumped, which apparently cost a large amount (no idea how much?). If the ground is porous then the pathogens end up contaminating the water table.

However if you drill a hole and put chemicals down there under, which one could be cancer causing Formadehyde, you are ok - providing you pay the Gov fracking tax.