Septic tank registration

[renewablejohn]

Wonder if there is a box to tick for a composting toilet.

[freddyuk]

Where are you based freddy?

Near Bantry.

I have dug around my "septic tank" to understand how it is working and to check for any leakage. Is seems to have just one chamber which was cast in ground and is rendered. About 8' x 4' x 4'. There is incoming one end high up from the house. At the opposite side there is an exit pipe at the same level which I assumed was the outlet but this just goes down into a soakaway (and is clear). I cannot see any other outlet. It does not smell so is working aerobically I guess but I am thinking it is pretty close to a cesspit so I will get clobbered under new guidelines. It has 300mm of contents in the bottom for 2 people and has not been emptied for 4/5 years roughly. It was much higher I remember when we had it emptied so I do not think it is leaking.
I wanted to build over the leach field so was thinking of bolting on a "bio polisher" at the end of the tank but now I am thinking I do not actually have a leach field!! That makes it a cesspit?

[eabadger]

here in France we have to have our systems certified by "SPANK" !!

steve

[billt]

For clarification, a cesspit is a sealed tank. It doesn't have an outflow, so needs to be emptied fairly frequently, every few weeks if the property is in use.

A septic tank is a simple treatment system. It is designed so that solids settle out and a little bit of anaerobic digestion takes place to reduce the volume of solids. There should be a system of baffles to stop solids getting to the outflow. The outflow is mainly water, but with a high level of pollution. This should flow into a properly sized leach field which lets the effluent diffuse into the surrounding soil to let nature clean the it.

The septic tank should be full in normal operation, with a varying amount of solids at the bottom and a crust on the top. If it's only got 300mm in the bottom it's either not receiving the foul water from the building or it's got a serious leak.

[Baz]

Wonder if there is a box to tick for a composting toilet.

sounds like a whole new opportunity for special forms, registraion and specially qualified inspectors..........

[billi]

Where are you based freddy?

Near Bantry.

Hello neighbour   

[Ivan]

We got our notification from Welsh Water a couple of weeks ago. They're quick to point out that there's no fee but.....if they deem it to be an environmentally sensitive area, they reserve the right to charge £125/year. Let's assume that I'm in an environmentally-sensitive area (we're close to a river), I assume I would then qualify for the £125/year fee - which is around the same as what I'd be charged to be on mains sewerage - but 1)they wouldn't contribute a penny towards the maintenance/upkeep/emptying of any sewerage treatment system owned by me and 2)They sure aren't going to spend my £125/yr on making any of my effluent environmentally benign. It's just an excuse to make a bit of cash.

Do you know what happens to normal sewerage when it rains heavily? I did a tour of our local town's sewerage works a few years ago. Although modern drains may be designed to separate storm water from sewerage, old drainage systems do not make the distinction, and in most towns and cities, the sewerage backbone is of Victorian vintage. I think our town is typical in having emergency containment tanks. When there is a lot of rainfall, the incoming flow is too high for the sewerage treatment plant to cope, so the raw sewerage is diverted to several large holding tanks. I asked what happens when the holding tanks are full - answer: they overflow directly into the river. Question: Isn't that harmful Answer: Well the river's generally in flood at the time, so it's diluted. Question: How often does that happen Answer: Only a handful of times each year.

- So don't assume that mains sewerage systems are necessarily any better protected against poos floating down the river. In fact, in torrential rain, we see water containing toilet paper welling up from manhole covers at the top of our road.

[clivejo]

Do you know what happens to normal sewerage when it rains heavily? I did a tour of our local town's sewerage works a few years ago. Although modern drains may be designed to separate storm water from sewerage, old drainage systems do not make the distinction, and in most towns and cities, the sewerage backbone is of Victorian vintage. I think our town is typical in having emergency containment tanks. When there is a lot of rainfall, the incoming flow is too high for the sewerage treatment plant to cope, so the raw sewerage is diverted to several large holding tanks. I asked what happens when the holding tanks are full - answer: they overflow directly into the river. Question: Isn't that harmful Answer: Well the river's generally in flood at the time, so it's diluted. Question: How often does that happen Answer: Only a handful of times each year.

- So don't assume that mains sewerage systems are necessarily any better protected against poos floating down the river. In fact, in torrential rain, we see water containing toilet paper welling up from manhole covers at the top of our road.

That is very true, but the Water companies have special "do what you like" licences from the Environment Agency and Rivers Agency.  They release raw sewage whereas at least a septic tank would be partially treated!  There was a local uproar regarding this in my local area last summer.  [ http://www.impartialreporter.com/news/roundup/articles/2011/08/11/394216-raw-sewage-affecting-health-of-residents/ ]  Do as I say, not as I do !!

[CeeBee]

Wonder if there is a box to tick for a composting toilet.

sounds like a whole new opportunity for special forms, registraion and specially qualified inspectors..........

"OFBOG - Her Majesty's Toilet Inspectorate - making toilets safer..."

...shamelessly pinched from work colleague, who declared himself 'toilet monitor', after we kept suffering from broken seats, door falling off, etc.

[freddyuk]

Where are you based freddy?

Near Bantry.

Hello neighbour   

Yep I know you are out there somewhere!! 

[Pat_]

Monty Python was ahead of its time...

...Oak panelled, Civil Service committee room. A politician is addressing three officals.

Politician           Gentlemen, our MP saw the PM this AM and the PM wants more LSD from the PIB by tomorrow AM or PM at the latest. I told the PM's PPS that AM was NBG so tomorrow PM it is for the PM nem. con. Give us a fag or I'll go spare. Now, the fiscal deficit with regard to the monetary balance, the current financial year excluding invisible exports, but adjusted of course for seasonal variations and the incremental statistics of the fiscal and revenue arrangements for the forthcoming annual budgetary period terminating in April.
First Official    I think he's talking about taxation.
Politician            Bravo, Madge. Well done. Taxation is indeed the very nub of my gist. Gentlemen, we have to find something new to tax.
Second Official    I understood that.
Third Official    If I might put my head on the chopping block so you can kick it around a bit, sir...
Politician            Yes?
Third Official    Well most things we do for pleasure nowadays are taxed, except one.
Politician            What do you mean?
Third Official    Well, er, smoking's been taxed, drinking's been taxed but not ... thingy.
Politician            Good Lord, you're not suggesting we should tax... thingy?
First Official    Poo poo's?
Third Official    No.
First Official    Thank God for that. Excuse me for a moment. (leaves)...

[Chanireland]

So if you didnt have a  septic tank (used a compost toilet) and a small read bed for grey water sink and shower. what is the legal position say you were in a old cottage with no septic tank. with the household charge now you should register your house so would be on the council list but said nothing about septic tank as you dont have 1.

been wondering is it law that you have to have a septic tank for residential buildings..

 

[offthegridandy]

As an interesting aside,

canal boats which are/were licenced by British waterways are permitted to discharge shower and sink waste straight into The Cut. So grey water can by that definition be sent straight down the river.  I don't wish to encourage anyone to break rules and contaminate the rtivers but clearly if you seperate the grey water element from raw sewage you could legally send it into the river or down the field.  Seems to be an anomaly to me.


If you seperate of the grey water then your Sess pit or septic tank won't need emptying so frequently

Andy

[clivejo]

Its all covered under "discharge".  Even emptying a swimming pool seems to fall under it.