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Septic Tank Systems |
Septic tank systems have been widely used in rural areas of the UK where mains drainage is not available or the cost of connection is prohibitive.
A septic tank receives all of the waste water from the house, including toilet, laundry, bathroom and kitchen waste. Roof water must be excluded to prevent excessive flows during wet weather. Within the septic tank solid material will settle to the floor of the tank whilst fat and grease will float. It is important that the outlet from the septic tank is in the form of a ‘dip – pipe’ to prevent any floating material passing into the soakaway.
The main purpose of a septic tank is to separate the solid material and allow the sludge formed to undergo a process known as anaerobic digestion. This has the effect of reducing the sludge volume and therefore the frequency of emptying by vacuum tanker. The modern use of detergents in washing machines and dishwashers and of disinfectant materials frequently inhibits the digestion process.
The effluent from a septic tank is disposed of to a soakaway. Under no circumstances should it be allowed to discharge to a ditch or stream. Such a discharge is an offence under the Public Health and Water Resources Acts and renders the offender liable to prosecution by the Statutory Authorities.
The efficient operation of the soakaway is critical to the performance of septic tank/soakaway systems and it is in this respect that problems are most frequently encountered.
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Soakaway systems can fail for a number of reasons.
The most common of these include the following:-
The sub–soil is not sufficiently permeable to allow the tank effluent to disperse;
The natural water table has risen above the outlet from the septic tank;
The soakaway has become blocked due to the absence of a ‘dip–pipe’ on the septic tank outlet or inadequate emptying frequency.
Inefficient operation of the soakaway is apparent by the water level in the septic tank rising above the outlet and causing flooding of the drain from the house.
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The most reliable solution to the problems described above is to install a small sewage treatment plant. The level of treatment provided by such a plant enables the effluent to be discharged to a natural watercourse subject to obtaining the Consent of the Environment Agency in England and Wales, or SEPA (Scottish Environmental Protection Agency) in Scotland. The cost of a treatment plant can however be substantial and the installation causes major disturbance to established gardens, as well as interrupting the use of the house facilities for a day or more. These disadvantages are however avoided by the use of a MANTAIR tank conversion unit!
Specifically designed to provide a simple, cost – effective and long term solution to drainage problems in rural properties, the MANTAIR tank conversion unit converts existing septic tanks and cesspools into small sewage treatment plants.
Further information is available on the MANTAIR conversion unit page of this Website.
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