What to Know about Off-Mains Drainage
As home development begins to take people beyond the capacity and reach of main sewer systems, the amount of people contemplating Off-Mains Drainage are on the rise. According to Building Regulations, it is required that rainwater falls on to a site that remains on the site within Rainwater Harvesting systems. Ecological benefits are incurred when waste water is treated on site although it remains a forced choice. It is imperative that as one considers the use of off-mains drainage, they understand all terms, etc. The following will assist with that.
Cesspit or Cesspool
A cesspool, also referred to as a cesspit, is basically a holding tank. With a cesspool, there is no intent for treatment or discharge of waste; therefore it is simply collected within a tank that is intermittently pumped into a disposal or lorry. The tanks tends to be sized to appropriately accommodate approximately six to eight weeks of waste while being vented to allow for the escape of gas. Although banned in Scotland, the UK looks at cesspools as a needed last resort.
A cesspit will need to be emptied an average of eight times per year, and will cost consumers between £100 and £300 each time.
Septic Tank
Although quite similar to a cesspit, a septic tank is compartmentalised for the separation of liquid and solid waste. While solid waste is retained within the tank. The liquid waste is discharged into a soakaway in order to be purified via soil filtration. Just as one would with a cesspit, waste is removed from a septic tank; but it only needs to be done a maximum of twice per year.
Since the capital costs of a septic tank are lower, it is the most common of solutions for off-mains properties.
Sewage Treatment Plant
Many sewage treatment plants are unpretentiously priced and very local in scale. Generally, compressed air is propelled into the lowermost portions of the tank in order to accelerate microorganism actions so that waste is able to be broken down. Sewage treatment plants are inclined to contain rotating discs as a measure to increase the microorganism’s surface area which is able to increase the rapidness of solid waste degeneration.
Liquid waste is relatively clean upon it being discharged and can be emptied out into a soakaway or water course.
Soakaway
A soakaway allows the efflluent to slowly dissipate through soil. There are two methods in which this can be accomplished. The first being a pit that is filled with rubble or a stone where water is to be discharged. The size of the soakaway is determined by the amount of available space as well as percolation or porosity testing.
Living Soakaway
This type of soakaway is used when a traditional version is too difficult or simply not plausible to be used. Tis version of a soakaway if gravel filled, shallow and planted with irises, willows and reeds that are able to yield up water as it is degenerated into the atmosphere.
Reed Bed
Not normally viewed as a full sewage treatment system singularly, they are used in conjunction with a sewage treatment plant or a septic tank. Reed beds are able to permit microorganisms, fungi and bacteria as a digestion tool for sewage and to clean water. Reed beds tend to be of two distinct types, either a horizontal flow or a vertical flow. For the best results, the two methods should be uniquely combined for your particular needs.
It will come as a pleasant surprise to most people just how small they are.
In Conclusion
Living off of the main drains should not pose an issue should you possess soil conditions that are reasonably good. Simple and effective solutions are soakaways and sewage treatment plants. Should conditions tend to be a bit poor, it is still plausible to live off of the main drains, but you will endure capital costs.
Is Registration Needed?
Contact us for advice and guidance on Environment Agency and Building Control involvement.
More Information
Here at Boxall Ward, we offer Off-Mains drainage installation and maintenance of Sewage Treatment Plants, Septic Tanks and Cesspools throughout Sussex and the Southeast – please call us on 01903 815377 and we’ll be delighted to give you more information.
