Septic Tanks – An alternative to mains drainage

Guest article from Duncan - www.propertyhive.org

Under the Water Resources Act 1991, it remains a criminal offence to discharge effluent that is not of a sufficient quality into a watercourse without the consent of the Environment Agency. This can result in a three month prison sentence or a fine of up to £100,000. Therefore it is important to ensure your installations are up to date.

Source: http://www.mtmdrains.co.uk/

Consideration of drainage is an important part of any development and in the vast majority of cases UK developments will enjoy the benefit of being able to connect to ‘main drainage’.  In rural or more isolated areas, where mains drainage is not generally available, alternative methods of controlling and disposing of drainage, particularly foul waste, need to be considered.  Septic tanks are one such option:

The first recorded septic tank was installed in 1896 by Donald Cameron who was the city Surveyor for Exeter. This septic tank served the entire town and was 20 x 6m to a depth 2.1m. Since then there has been some progress in the development of septic tanks, but the principles are basically the same.

Source: http://www.septicrepairny.com/

Septic tanks are covered in UK Building Regulations under Approved Document H, and it is an offence not to build new structures to the standards as set out in the Building Regulations under the Building Act 1990. However as long as the British Standards are followed or bettered this should not be a problem. See BS6297:2007 for further guidance. Building Regulations do not apply retrospectively and so septic tanks that pre-date the 1985 Building Regulations are not affected. This is despite the fact that many septic tanks are no longer fit for purpose due to the increase in water usage rates over the last fifty years. However under the Water Resources Act 1991, it remains a criminal offence to discharge effluent that is not of a sufficient quality into a watercourse without the consent of the Environment Agency. This can result in a three month prison sentence or a fine of up to £100,000. Therefore it is important to ensure your installations are up to date.

Treatment  - All foul drainage should enter a tank including water from W.C’s, showers, sinks, baths and domestic appliances such as washing machines etc. Washing machines and dishwashers are often discharged into rainwater pipes as it is easier, but this can have a significant impact on the local environment and should always be avoided.

A Septic Tank is a self contained installation that processes and treats raw sewage. It is a tank which stores the waste allowing enough time for the organic matter to decompose through natural processes. The sewage becomes liquefied, with a thick oily scum forming on the top and sludge that settles on the bottom. What is left is a central layer of clear liquid, which in older tanks is often emptied straight to a watercourse (which is illegal and harmful to the environment), but in new installations it is treated further before been discharged. The sludge at the bottom is made up of everything that is too heavy to remain in suspension and the oily layer that sits atop is the matter that can decompose naturally.

The secondary treatment usually comes in the form of a soakaway, where the water is drained into a hole formed underground, using plastic formwork that can be described as looking like milk crates, where the water will be soaked up slowly by the ground. Soakaways come with their own set of legal requirements.

The other type of secondary treatment comes in the form of a bio-filter. These have sweeper arms that drip the effluent over clinker beds. Please note that a septic tank is not the same thing as a cess pit, which is a container that stores sewage until it can be emptied and treated elsewhere. Older tanks are often square in shape with brick walls, although modern installations are often pre-fabricated uPVC units that can be square or circular. The septic tank is made of either two separate tanks or one tank split into two

Capacity - A septic tank should be 180 litres in size for every person it serves, with an additional 2000 litres of capacity regardless of the number of people using it.

Litres = 180P + 2000

Where P = the amount of persons served by the tank.

The above calculation should treat children as adults and allows for emptying on an annual basis.

This is so the sewage can be stored long enough that the decomposition of the waste can occur. Anything smaller than this will mean untreated sewage is discharged and solids may cause blockages in the pipework, or if installed the bio-filter. If untreated sewage is allowed to drain into the local environment, there is likely to be an increase in disease, rat infestation and damage to the local environment.

End Product - One of the end products of a septic tank is sludge. This is raw sewage that remains in the tank, and then emptied periodically. The other is water that consists of nitrates and tiny fragments of sewage.

General Problems - An excess of detergent will inhibit separation of the three layers. An excess of disinfectants will kill of the bacteria involved in the treatment process. Day to day domestic use should not cause any problems in a well designed and maintained system. Water softeners however produce salts which in excess can kill of the bacteria required to make the system work.

De-sludging - How often to de-sludge depends largely upon the occupancy of the household and size of tank, but for an average household of 4 people it would be reasonable to assume an annual de-sludging would be sufficient.

Mains Drainage - If there is a nearby sewer you have the right to connect to it. Just contact the local sewerage company and they will give you further details on how to arrange for a connection.

Construction Requirements - Reference should be made to BS6297:2007, which contains recommended materials for use. Rain and groundwater must be prevented from entering the Septic tank, as clean water should not be contaminated. Therefore the tank should be covered, which also helps with the safety issues of having an open tank. Access must be maintained with an access hatch of at least 600mm square. This access should allow for inspection of the inlets and outlets, and should be large enough to allow rodding. Tanks should be situated;
1. Not within 15 metres of the dwelling in question.
2. Not within 10 metres of a watercourse.
3. Not on land that it is regularly flooded, or land that has a high water table.
4. So that a tanker can access for emptying (e.g within 30 metres of vehicle access).
5. Downwind of nearby dwellings if at all possible.

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Urban Living v Rural Living – Which is better?

When you live in a City or Town you have access to most facilities and services, which we tend to take for granted and do not really give these a second thought.  It is only when we move from such a place that we realise that these facilities and services are not as readily available and are often provided in different ways or sometimes not at all

Source: http://www.buildstore.co.uk

In the hectic world we live in it is important for us to balance our lives so that we take time to rest, relax and generally re-charge our batteries.  We will all do this in different ways, be it spending quality time with our friends and families with a meal out, a drink at our local, a day trip, weekend away or maybe even a holiday.  The more active and adventurous may decide on something a little more physically challenging, however the point is that it will be something for ourselves that we enjoy.  The thought of planning and doing these things are what often gets us through each working day.  Sometimes this will also lead us to make life changing decisions at certain stages of our lives, where we decide we want to live our lives at a more leisurely pace.  In order to achieve this many will consider leaving the often chaotic, hundred mile an hour pace of cities, large towns and urban areas behind and contemplate moving and living in rural or semi-rural locations.  In fact my family and I recently made such a move, prior to which our entire lives had been spend living in Birmingham.

When you live in a City or Town you have access to most facilities and services, which we tend to take for granted and do not really give these a second thought.  It is only when we move from such a place that we realise that these facilities and services are not as readily available and are often provided in different ways or sometimes not at all.  Therefore, I thought it would be worth discussing some of these points, so that those who may be considering moving to a rural or semi-rural area, have this information available to help them during the process:

Drainage

By the nature of rural areas being more isolated than urban areas it is highly likely that mains sewers and drains will not be available.  The availability will vary depending on the size of a village or community and also its proximity to larger towns and cities, which are likely have these facilities.  Where mains drainage is not available, sewerage is usually managed by either septic tanks or cesspools. 

Septic tank – In simple terms a septic tank is a watertight ‘box’, usually concrete, which is buried in the ground just outside the home. The size of the tank is determined by the size of the home, however typically this will have a 1000 gallon liquid capacity. Foul water from toilets, baths, showers, sinks, washing machines, etc flow into the tank. The heavier solids fall and settle at the bottom, while the relatively clear water rises to the top where it is drained off into the earth. Any solids left in the tank are mostly broken down by bacteria, something know as anaerobic action. Not all the solids will be broken down so occasionally the tank must be emptied before it reaches capacity.  There will be a cost attached to maintenance and emptying of the tank and this should be investigated during the conveyance process.

Cesspools – Also referred to a cesspits, these are basically underground storage tanks made of brick, concrete or nowadays glass reinforced plastic (GRP). These will have a much a larger capacity than a septic tank, typically 18000 litres or above.  Cesspool act as a catchment/storage facility only and require emptying on a regular basis, which will also have a cost attached.  It is an offence Public Health Act 1936to allow a cesspool to overflow or leak.

Fuel and energy

The Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Statistical Digest of Rural England 2013 states: ‘Households in rural areas are more likely to be off the gas grid (i.e. not connected to mains gas), and hence reliant on potentially more expensive fuels. In 2010, 36% of households in rural areas overall were off the gas grid compared with 8% in urban areas and 13% across England. The majority of urban homes use gas as their main fuel type. However in rural areas, particularly Villages and Hamlets, a large proportion of households use oil fired heating systems’.

Fuel costs are currently increasing at an alarming rate, and this is a serious consideration when considering the purchase of a new home.  It is true to say that gas in expensive wherever it is available, however the cost of using an oil fired heating system in a rural or semi-rural area is equally expensive and does not just include the cost of oil alone, but will also include delivery and maintenance of an oil storage facility.  This could prove to be a very expensive ongoing cost that will need to be factored into future financial planning.

Accessibility

During the warmer months of the year when the days are long, living in a rural or semi-rural environment is extremely enjoyable, often idyllic.  Beautiful countryside, fresh air (sometimes very fresh if you live near a farm!), a variety of wildlife, fantastic walks, in fact I would suspect that it is these things that draw many to the countryside.  The flip side of this of course is that these types of communities can often become very isolated when the colder, darker nights commence and when winter really sets in.



Source: http://mylongwalk.com/

Rural roads are often narrow and poorly lit (or not lit at all).  A sharp frost or even a light covering of snow will make these roads hazardous. Even a short trip to the local shop or a journey to work will be made much more difficult when the weather changes and the nights start to draw in.  For those viewing properties in the summer months these considerations are rarely thought about, because dark nights and poor weather are probably the furthest things from people’s minds at that time.

Public transport  - ‘DEFRA’s Statistical Digest of Rural England 2013 states: In 2009 42% of households in the most rural areas had a regular bus service close by, compared to 96% of urban households’. As can be seen the level of service for public transport in rural areas is inconsistent at the very least. Many people may not expect to rely on public transport if they have their own transport however, always bear in mind that circumstances can change and that this may be something worth thinking about, rather than ignoring it. Even if public transport is available, the distance to the nearest bus stop could still be a lengthy one, especially in isolated areas. 

Broadband

Referring again to DEFRA’s Statistical Digest of Rural England 2013: ‘Average broadband speeds were slower in rural areas than in urban areas and a higher proportion of rural households have slow or no broadband. 8% of households in England have access to no or slow broadband. Sparse Hamlet and Isolated Dwellings had the highest proportion of households with no or slow broadband in 2010, 47%’.

Broadband will not be seen as essential by some, however if like my family you are used to high speed broadband, then once it is taken away it is something that you really notice.  Although we booked our broadband installation for our new house a number of weeks before we moved in, we still had to wait a further four weeks before it was actually installed.  As we rely on broadband for many different things, those four weeks were actually extremely difficult.  When the broadband was installed in was useable, but nowhere near the speed we had enjoyed at our previous house.  Also, we have noticed that we also get much more ‘outage’ in our new house, as the service seems to go down more often.  This again is something worth knowing if you too currently enjoy high speed broadband but are considering moving to a rural or semi-rural area.

I have to say that living in a semi-rural area is really nice and I am really pleased that my family and I decided to make the move.  If you are thinking about making a similar move then hopefully I have given you something to think about, particularly if you currently live in a large town or a city.  Rural living is lovely, however it is very different from urban living, which I suspect is why people decide to make the move, but as I have pointed out there are some possible downsides, if of course you decide to see them that way!

Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and colleagues who you think would be interested

Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.