Septic Tank in Henley-on-thames

What Is A Septic Tank?

Septic tank may be a very strange concept to many individuals, but to the households that make use of them - they’re crucial to several homes especially the ones who are not connected to the mains sewage line

A septic tank .is simply an underwater sedimentation tank which is incorporated for the treatment of waste water via a process called biological decomposition and drainage. The tank utilizes natural processes in conjunction with tried and tested technologies for waste water treatment. The waste water comes from household plumbing which are often generated by bathrooms and toilets, kitchens, laundry as well as drains.

Septic tanks usually possesses a very simple design. They are simply underground containers that are watertight ( usually round or rectangular) made of plastic, fibreglass or concrete. They normally constitute different compartments which is a T-shaped outlet to prevent the sum and sludge from escaping that tank and finding a spot on the drain field area.

Septic tanks are particularly useful for households with a poor drainage system or those that aren’t connected to the mains sewage system. They serve as their main source of safe waste water disposal. The tanks work by collecting waste water and excreta in one huge underground tank and they happen to be very common in rural and developing areas.

Septic tanks are typically fitted underground and 50 metres away from the building. For those that live in towns and cities, septic tanks are mostly not needed as the waste water is normally transported and taken care of by their sewage system is is maintained and managed by a local water company. If you own a septic tank, you have an extra duty to make sure that it’s existence doesn’t negatively impact the environment.

How To Apply For A Septic Tank Permit

There are some binding rules that must be followed if you’re the operator of a septic tank system or small sewage treatment plant. This binding rules include the following:

✓ The sewage must be domestic in nature. For instance the scum, sludge and waster water should come from the shower, toilet, kitchen, laundry room etc. If you’re not sure if your septic tank is domestic in nature in nature you can contact the Environment Agency.

✓ The sewage must not lead to pollution

There are also some binding rules whether you release to the ground such as your backyard garden or to a surface water like a stream or river.

In the event whereby you do not meet the general binding rules, you’ll need to apply for a septic tank permit. Here, the form you’ll have to fill will depend on where you discharge your sewage and how much sewage you discharge.

If you discharge your sewage to the ground there are different forms depending on whether you’re in a groundwater protection zone (SPZ1). Outside an SPZ1, there are different forms if you discharge between 2 and 15 cubic metres in a day and if its over 15 cubic metres per day. While inside an SPZ1, if you discharge less than 2 cubic metres per day you’ll fill different forms for systems in use before 1st January, 2015 and systems installed on or after that date.

If you want to discharge between 5 and 20 cubic metres sewage per day to a surface water, you can apply for a standard rules permit. If you can’t get a standard rules permit, you’ll need a permit to discharge up to 20 cubic metres per day and over 20 cubic metres per day.

Do Septic Tanks Smell?

The simple and shot answer to this question is yes, septic tanks smell. There are a plethora of very pleasant fragrant smells to enjoy in the United Kingdom, but the smell that oozes out of septic tank systems are certainly not one of them. In fact, if you care for yourself a lot, you should not even try smelling your septic tank at all. However, if you do notice a bad odour wafting from the direction of your tank, it may be that there’s an indication that something is not right. The septic tank system is always with strong malodorous scents, but when you start smelling the odour from the septic tank on your property, then something is wrong and if ignored, may lead to a contamination of your water supply and or other dangerous situations.

✓ When you’re able to perceive the smell of your septic tank from your property, it may imply a full or overflowing septic tank. In this case, you should call in a professional to have your tank pumped. Generally, most tanks are designed to be pumped every 4 years but this is definitely going to vary depending on the size of of the tank as well as your home’s water usage.

✓ Another possible reason for a smelly tank is a covered septic tank vent. This usually happens when a home is renovated or remodelled after the septic tank system has been fitted. You should make sure that the septic tank vents are always uncovered.

✓ If the septic tank starts to get smelly right after showering, then it’s most likely that the septic tank was not installed the way it’s supposed to and may have been fitted without any type of vent.

✓ A smelly tank can also be caused by inappropriate items making their way into a system like cooking grease, oil or fat, paints, solvents, industrial cleaning products, condoms, feminine hygiene products and so on.

How Much Does A Septic Tank Hold?

If you’re thinking about installing a septic tank system in your home, the type as well as the size of the tank are the most common things to put into consideration before making a decision. Private sewage disposal is very common in the rural areas which are unable to access the mains sewage system. Septic tank systems that includes a soil absorption system or a drain field is the most affordable way that you can treat your household’s waste water. To get the size of your septic tank, you’ll have to determine the size of the house as well as the number of people living in it. Generally, a domestic septic tank varies largely in size usually between 750 gallons to 1250 gallons.

Septic tanks have three common types that are used in domestic construction. These includes:

✓ Concrete septic tanks

✓ Polyethylene or plastic septic tanks

✓ Fibreglass septic tanks

The most common type of septic tanks is the concrete tanks, however, they’re usually very heavy and would require a machinery to install. Plastic and fibreglass septic tanks, on the other hand, are much lighter which makes them more ideal for remote and hard to reach places.

Several influencing factors can play a key role in determining the size of the septic tank you need. These includes the home’s square footage, the number of bedrooms as well as the number of people that resides in the house. Below are rough estimates of septic tank sizes you’ll need depending on the square footage and number of bedroom.

✓ One and two bedroom homes of less than 1500 square feet will require a 750 gallon septic tank.

✓ Three bedroom homes of less than 2500 square feet will require a 1000 gallon septic tank.

✓ Four bedroom homes of less than 3500 square feet will require a 1250 gallon septic tank.