What Is A Septic Tank

A septic tank is a storage tank which holds and retains all the solid waste & passes on the untreated waste water to a soak away/drainage filed.

You are not permitted to drain directly from a septic tank into a watercourse/ditch. You would need to install a sewage treatment plant.

A septic tank works by allowing the solids to settle to the bottom and the effluent to flow out. The outflow from the septic tank usually requires further treatment and this is achieved by soaking it away into the ground, where bacteria in the soil completes the sewage treatment process.

A septic tank will have some kind of baffle to separate the sludge build up from the effluent leaving the septic tank through the outlet. New ranges of septic tanks use dip pipes to allow the solid waste to settle to the bottom and doing away with baffles.

All domestic sized septic tanks are sized to give one-year sludge capacity. If left longer than a year the solid build up can damage your baffle and the baffle can come away from the tank, letting solids enter your soak away.

If you require any further advice on septic tanks or wish to have one sized, please give us a call on 01923 260846