Septic tank to water for the garden!

Last post 04-12-2012 9:09 PM by Snark. 20 replies.

• 17/09/2008 05:10 PM

  Michael Location: Maidstone Kent Joined on: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 4

  Reply | Contact I am currently thinking about converting my septic tank to a sewage treatment plant. This will mean (if you believe what the experts say) that I will not have to have a tanker squeezing up my drive every four/five weeks to take away our waste water. If all goes according to plan (don't hold your breath) the cost of conversion could be covered in two years. My question is does anyone have experience of these systems, and do they really work? So my question to the forum is does anyone know if I can se-cycle the water after treatment, and if so how. Very many thanks. Michael.

• 17/09/2008 07:18 PM

  In reply to

  bogweevil Location: Joined on: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 2,766

  Reply | Contact I thought a septic tank WAS a small scale sewage plant - almost everyone not on main drainage has one of these and they work just fine (most of the time). A tanker is only needed at long intervals to remove a small quantity of solids that just won't break down. The water is not generally recycled without further treatment but allowed to go to waste in a soakaway. I suppose it could be used to water the garden but probably not edibles. Modern additions include aeration machinery and biofilters - literally beds of living organisms like the big circles of coke beds seen in sewage works but on a smaller scale. The water is then clean enough to discharge into ditches and streams. Perhaps your suppliers mean these? Boggy Beware the bat-eared bogweevil

• 17/09/2008 10:28 PM

  In reply to

  Michael Location: Maidstone Kent Joined on: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 4

  Reply | Contact Sorry, my mistake, not a septic tank but a cesspit. Its a plastic tank 5000 gallons, in the garden. No soakaway facility yet. The problem is that it has to be emptied very frequently, (every 6 weeks through the summer) and its expensive to get rid of! I was just wondering if anyone on the forum had actually done the conversion as it costs about £4000, I would like to meet someone (not provided by the contractor) as a point of reference. Seems I may be unlucky. Thanks anyway.

• 18/09/2008 12:00 PM	In reply to
  bogweevil Location: Joined on: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 2,766	Reply | Contact Like I say, most people off main drainage have a septic tank and it works fine. Do you mean you would like feedback on the specific model, make, system or contractor?   Boggy    Beware the bat-eared bogweevil

• 19/09/2008 08:44 AM	In reply to
  Michael Location: Maidstone Kent Joined on: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 4	Reply | Contact Hello, I am interested in fitting an Allerton Sewage treament system, as most of my twenty six neighbours in this raod have now done. It works out much cheaper over a couple of years. I was looking for anyone on the forum, (not supplied by the contractor) who might be able to answer the question about water from the system being recycled for garden watering.

• 19/09/2008 11:01 AM	In reply to
  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 9,503	Reply | Contact  Excuse me for being dim but doesn't any of your 26 neighbours who have had it done already know the answer? sue1002

• 19/09/2008 12:15 PM

  In reply to

  bogweevil Location: Joined on: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 2,766

  Reply | Contact Now be fair S1002, the other residents may not wish to water their gardens with the cleansed water which is an admirable aim and good for both wallet and environment. Plants will have no problem with the water and will relish the nutrients in it. Because the septic tank will be discharging into the environment it does not really matter if the environment is a ditch, a soakaway or a garden planting, just so long as there is no risk of a pollution episode.  If you pollute neighbours' land, ditches etc you will have a very great deal of trouble and your local authority may make you mend your ways.  But if you are not a nuisance no one will worry too much. It would be an unusual septic tank that would generate water that is sufficiently wholesome to the equivalent of say collected rainwater and even the best septic tanks can go wrong so clearly you would not want this water to be in sight, applied through sprinklers or go onto edible crops. However once filtered to remove any particulate matter (there should not be much) there is no technical reason why you should not use this water through a drip irrigation system.  Clearly in the winter there will be no need to irrigate and then for you need to be able to divert the water elsewhere.   Boggy           Beware the bat-eared bogweevil

• 19/09/2008 01:09 PM	In reply to
  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 9,503	Reply | Contact bogweevil: Now be fair S1002, the other residents may not wish to water their gardens with the cleansed water   That's a good point Boggy sue1002

• 20/09/2008 04:32 PM

  In reply to

  Susiq Location: Northumberland Joined on: 16 Feb 2008 Posts: 3,125

  Reply | Contact Michael, forgive my ignorance - er why is there no soak-away??? Is this a new property you have bought, even if its not, I cannot believe there is no soak-away! Septic tanks should only need to be cleared out once or maybe's twice MAX (per year depending on how many people using the facilities). I think you need to check out why you have no soak-away. Sorry doesn't answer your original question, but I really do think there is something fundamentally wrong with the system you have in place?

• 01/10/2008 08:43 AM

  In reply to

  Waste Tech Location: Joined on: 01 Oct 2008 Posts: 8

  Reply | Contact Hi Michael, What you have is a Cesspool, NOT a septic tank.  A cesspool is a sealed underground tank with no outlet.  Everything that goes in must be tankered out, which is why you have to empty it so often.   Septic Tanks all have an outlet which discharges into a soakaway.  It is illegal to allow the discharge to enter any watercourse or ditch (max. fine £20,000) and it can not be discharged above ground onto land.  Neither can final effluent from a sewage treatment unit, as it still contains pathogenic bacteria and viruses We used to fit the 'in-tank' septic tank conversion units.  We stopped fitting them because of too many emergency call-outs for blocked air-lifts, inspection chambers overflowing with raw sewage, etc.  They are also VERY expensive.  We now suggest that the best way to 'convert' a septic tank or cesspool is to add on a little septic tank conversion unit AFTER the septic tank/cesspool.   These cause us no problems and are about half the price. It is possible to use the final effluent on the garden, but either to an underground system or after UV light sterilisation, which, contrary to most 'experts' advice,  need  NOT be expensive. You may like to visit our sewage treatment website as it contains all the information you need on your options, or you can call me on 01757 288022.  Our advice and information is free and CORRECT and we will do our best to help you. Regards, Maureen Webb - Waste Tech Environmental Ltd

• 02/10/2008 07:22 PM	In reply to
  David 29971 Location: Sevenoaks, Kent Joined on: 20 Jun 2008 Posts: 19	Reply | Contact  Is this is or is it ain't an informercial?

• 02/10/2008 07:51 PM	In reply to
  David Location: Joined on: 25 Mar 2005 Posts: 128	Reply | Contact - David. Member 29971

• 02/10/2008 09:35 PM	In reply to
  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 5,230	Reply | Contact If it is an infomercial it has been cleverly done,  rather than just stick a straightforward plug, that said it's all fallen on deaf ears anyway digger Sage of the fells

• 03/11/2008 07:41 AM	In reply to
  MTM Drains Location: Joined on: 03 Nov 2008 Posts: 1	Reply | Contact Your main concern is installing a sewage treatment plant that is suitable to the Enviroment Agency, you will need to discharge the clean treates water to either a soakaway and/or a stream or ditch system, there is more information on our web site at www.mtmdrains.co.uk

• 29/04/2009 03:47 PM	In reply to
  mcrandi Location: Joined on: 29 Apr 2009 Posts: 6	Reply | Contact septic tanks are very important to us in our gardening, and you can find more information in our website www.septic-waste-treatment.com