grey water tap?

Martyn1981

I think you made a good call Eric. My sister also went for the mini sewage plant choice. I think it's almost a requirement now (post 2020), and tougher still post 2022.

Boringly, I used to be 'in' cess pits / septic tanks, so to speak, back in the 90's, when working for Environment Division in the Welsh Office (before National Assembly). As you say, many people are confused by the difference between cess pit and septic tank. Not helped by the fact that many cess pits leaked (often deliberately*) to reduce the need to empty them.

*Going back a long way, but apparently the trick was to dig a big hole, build a brick storage tank, seal it inside and out, and get it inspected. Once inspected, go to the spot where a large glass bottle has been used instead of a brick, and smash it, so the cess pit leaks.

EricMears

Martyn1981 said:

I think you made a good call Eric. My sister also went for the mini sewage plant choice. I think it's almost a requirement now (post 2020), and tougher still post 2022.

We've been very pleased with ours.  It's a 'Balmoral' unit which is continuously agitated by an air compressor.  Installation instructions suggested that compressor would need an annual 'service' when its seals should be replaced.  After 22½ years of continuous use,  it's only ever had a couple of inspections & adjustments but no service and original seals have never been replaced (total servicing costs : nil).

Financially it's been fantastic.  Compressor runs at around 100 watts (being generous you could call it £1 per day although off-peak rates and self generation would reduce that a lot) but having the system saves over half of our water bill (normally sewage charges are based on water consumption and rate per cu m is usually higher than import rate but there are no sewage charges if you're not connected to a sewer).