Septic Tank Soakaway Cost

[Anonymous]

I have been advised by the specialist who visited today that I need a new soakaway for my septic tank. The symptoms were that it won't drain effectively. Also the T pieces are missing (or were never there) so may have caused the soakaway to block. It's a brick built septic tank, rebuilt about 15 years ago, I was told by a former owner.

I don't know where the soakaway is, but I have a long garden, so I assume somewhere on my property.

I know it's a bit of a "how long is a piece of string" question, but what sort of price should I be paying, assuming:

1. Soakaway will be approx 10m from the tank, in an open part of the garden, but via an enclosed lawned area.
2. Trench for pipe to soakaway will have to be hand dug across the lawned area - difficult to remove fencing around the lawned area.
3. Soakaway area is accessible for a digger, as boundary fence (to a tarmac farm track) can be easily removed.
4. Site is pretty flat.
5. Soil is clay-ish after about 0.3 to 0.5m deep, based on holes I've dug for plants.
6. I don't know if it should be several trenches or one big hole for the soakaway.
7. No percolation testing done, so I can't advise how big it would be, but it's to cater for an ordinary 3 bedroomed house.

Any advice on the sort of price would be gratefully received, e.g in the region of £500 or £1000 or £2000 or £3000, not any sort of exact amount.

 

[Anonymous]

urm.... maybe I'm being daft but I have had properties which had soakaways and Septic tanks but never one FOR the other. A septic tank is surely an entity that works alone using bacteria to breakdown the sewage and just needing emptying 2-3 times a year by a firm that bring along a giant tanker for this purpose.
A soakaway is for rainwater alone surely and is usually associated with the downpipes that drain water off a roof - I can't understand why your contractor is suggesting the septic tank needs a soakaway.?

Anyway when I had two soakaways dug into my garden 10 years ago they came to about £1500 all in I think. Mind you they were dug by hand.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your input. I'm learning fast. As I understand, there is a difference between a septic tank and a cesspool:

A septic tank retains the "solids" but lets the water drain via a soakaway, and the "solids" are emptied about once a year or even less frequently.

A cesspool is much bigger, retains everything and has to be emptied much more frequently, maybe every few months.

See the soakaway section at

http://www.septic-tank.co.uk/

 

[Anonymous]

If the only things that go into a septic tank are biodegradable then it should never need emptying. In practice a little soil may get washed off the carrots so a certain amount of mineral matter accumulates. I emptied ours about 10 years ago but I'm not sure it was necessary. You definately need a soakaway or, as in our case. a pipe that leads to a ditch that leads to a large patch of reeds.

 

[Anonymous]

What you describe (a pipe leading to a soakaway pit) sounds more like a rainwater system soakaway. I had a brick septic tank at my last property, and from memory the soakaway was a perforated set of pipes surrounded by gravel.
Have a look here :-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A873876

and here:-

http://www.caradon.gov.uk/media/adobe/o/4/H3.pdf

for design stuff etc.

 

[Anonymous]

I forgot to say that the cost will depend on the daily rate in your area. It's not complicated stuff, but two to three days max manual work seems about it - allow £300-£500 per day. The pipes and gravel cost is pretty small - probably under a £100

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the replies.

From the price you suggest, I'll start shopping around, rather than accept the price the chap gave me this morning, and also see who any neighbours recommend.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes a septic tank has a system to soak away the liquids. A cesspool is what simply collects it all - not to be recommended.

I dunno what Biff does with his (where do you put the bog roll Biff??) but ours needs emptying every couple of years as it gets filled eventually with sludge - and yes we are careful what we put down!

We have a system of perforated drains (wavicoil) wrapped loosely in permeable membrane and then gravel.

Clay however is difficult for obvious reasons and so you may also need a large soakaway I suppose. If there is slow drainage then limit how many baths you have one after the other and don't run the washing machine all day. It goes without saying that you use biodegradable stuff and no bleach.

However - it's not too hard to DIY with a spade and some hard work.

 

[Anonymous]

Steady on E., I haven't even had breakfast yet. Paper is biodegradable. The bugs will eat it and leave virtually nothing solid. If you're septic tank needs emptying every two years there's something wrong. What makes you think it needs emptying? You should get a fairly solid crud on the surface. The action happens below this and is best left undisturbed.

 

[Anonymous]

Well - it gets filled eventually, and we are quite careful with it. I'm not sure that the theory of all turning to liquid holds in all cases. Maybe it's what we eat <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/smile.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=""> or mabe the alcohol preserves it all!

Having left it to its own devices last year we had problems with it and had to renew the clogged up wavicoil. Not recommended.

I'm off to Lunnon, where there is the delight of a Travelodge with mains drains. Bloody luxury.

(Yes I'd rather have the Biff 'n' Jean yurt experience but there isn't one in the Kings Cross area...)

 

[Anonymous]

If you go strictly by the regulation you will need to carry out a percolation test. This should be submitted to the Environment Agency with your post code, or grid reference, and the EA will agree a size and location for the soakaway and issue you with a permission to discharge.

I have managed installation of three tanks and soakaways over the last 18 months. One was quite small but the other two were big and cost upwards of £4k. (for the soakaway that is)

Mostly, the EA do not want you to go too deep. They prefer your pipes to be in the 600 to 1200 range. If you have a stream nearby I would consider a reed bed. You still need permission but reed beds are excellent, much cheaper and the EA like them.

 

[Anonymous]

Evelyn,

You could try the Bonnington or Waverley Hotels - Bloomsbury, about a 15 minute walk from Kings Cross

Not as cheap as the travel lodge, but far superior in comfort and if you book on-line then you can get some good prices. My wife uses them often and pays in the region of £65/night.

Last time she used the TL, I was with her, good job as well, as we had a chap trying to get into the room at 1.40am. He tried 3 times, before the night porter arrived to take him to his room.
Sincere apologies in the morning. He had booked 7 nights, but had a break of one day in the middle of them. He kept his card key, which of course now let him back in the building, and thought he'd have the same room!!!!!!

Graham

 

[Anonymous]

Carry out percolation tests- the building inspector will want to see the results. Look at the EA's guide to doing this but also look up your own council's guide as it will be most relevant to your area.
When you know the results phone the EA for an informal chat, and if they tell you you don't need permission from them, ask for that in writing- the building inspector may want to see that too.
Digging soakaway trenches shouldn't take more than a day for a 3-bed home soakaway. Our digger driver was 22.50 per hour plus VAT. So you're looking at a few hundred quid for that side of it. Definitely get a recommendation from neighbours if you can, and try to find someone close by. Digger drivers often charge travelling time, so it will save you money, and a local driver should know the geology pretty well- how far down to dig etc.
Soakaway pipes are just perforated versions of sewage pipes. You can buy them ready-perforated or cut slots in them yourself with an angle grinder (buy 1 length ready cut and copy it). The price difference is something like £16 for a 6m length of uncut pipe to £36 for ready cut! The gravel should be large (2-5cm diam) and will need to sit below the pipes and also cover them.

Hope that helps with your cost calculations

cheers

Emma.

 

[Anonymous]

The TL has its attractions - a friend lives almost opposite!
Very useful as we can weave our way back from a night out together...

...and TL I often get for £26, which leaves a heap of beer money!

But I'll bear the others in mind. Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

A friend in the Kings Cross area eh !!!!! Nod nod wink wink.......

<IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/smile.gif" BORDER=0 ALT="">

Strangely enough we have one to, yours isn't Swiss is she?

Graham

 

[Anonymous]

Again thanks for all the inputs.

At least I can make a good guess at what is reasonable, and what isn't...

 

[Anonymous]

Nope - very English!
Our friendship is based on beer and building conservation so never mind the wink wink stuff!

 

[brewster]

Yes a septic tank has a system to soak away the liquids. A cesspool is what simply collects it all - not to be recommended.

This website - http://www.southerndrainage.com/ has some good advice and diagrams on the differences between cesspits, septic tanks, soakaways etc.[/quote]