Should I Install A Septic Tank?
It’s often the least glamorous subjects which are the most important to discuss – and when it comes to whether you need to install a septic tank, ignorance is definitely not bliss. A septic tank is essentially a drainage solution for those properties and buildings which aren’t attached to a mains sewer. All sewage from the property runs to the septic tank; a single chamber where the sewage is left to sit until the solids form a sludge at the base of the tank and the liquids are free to run through an outlet pipe and soak into the ground.
The main job of the septic tank is to hold all sewage from the house and allow the floatable matter (oil and grease) and solids to be separated from what is known as the wastewater. As of 2020, it is now a legal requirement for this wastewater to be slowly released into the soil of a specific drainage site. Alternatively, it can be trickled through sand and other organic matter, evaporated, or fully disinfected before being transferred to the soil.
So, when do you need a septic tank? And what does the process of tank emptying involve?
Who needs a septic tank?
Septic tanks are most commonly found in rural areas where centralised water systems are not as common or frequently used. A strong indicator that you may have or may need a septic tank will be if your neighbours have one, or if you find that you are not on a standard water meter for your property – the latter meaning that your home is not serviced by a mains sewer system. It is worth noting that around 10% of all homes in the UK use a septic tank.
In 2020, new regulations came into force regarding the installation and upkeep of septic tanks and sewage systems – before these regulations, septic tank wastewater could be released into a river or stream or another surface water source. Under the new rules, this is no longer possible – with owners needing to either connect to a mains sewer or install a drainage field system to allow the septic tank to drain into the ground instead.
When to Consider Our Tank Emptying Service
If the wastewater from your septic tank is starting to sit atop the drain field site and cause flooding, or if your water systems and especially your toilet becomes blocked, you may find that you need a septic tank emptying service.
This essentially involves a septic tank professional coming and pumping out your septic tank, removing the stagnant solid waste and matter which has collected inside the tank, which may be blocking the wastewater from escaping.
Remember that your septic tank undergoes heavy use daily as it manages water from the bathroom, kitchen drains, and laundry, so without regular servicing and emptying things can easily and quickly go wrong.
Contact Us
If you recognise either of those symptoms or are noticing a bad odour around your drains and the septic tank site itself, call our expert tank emptying service team here at Thistle Loos at 01455 230616 or fill out our contact form on site.