Septic Tank/Soakaway issue

Westy29

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Our house was built in 2000 and we moved in in 2009. Two adults and one child in the house. Drains have worked away fine since. One blockage before spectic tank a few years ago I cleared with rods but nothing else. Tank passed County Council inspection around 2016. Rainwater goes to separate soakaway and toilets, showers, sinks, machine etc to septic tank.

First tank empty in 2016 and again in early 2020. In 2020 guy said he thought there might be an issue with the soakaway as he thought he heard water draining back in. Last week the manhole outside back door popped with a back up. Drain rods found no blockage so got the tank emptied again. Tank was full and when it was empty you could see the water from soakaway draining back in. Guy said the soakaway was goosed. 24 hours later had a builder guy in to look and the tank was full again, with mostly rain water (we had very wet weather in the days previous). His main business is septic systems and soakaways and he also said the soakaway was goosed. He suggested using a submersible pump to remove some of the rainwater to allow us to use the toilets etc until he gets to us. We ve been putting as little as possible down since. I have used a submersible pump twice to remove what looks to be mostly rainwater but the tank fills again.

Am I essentially emptying a flooded soakaway here? The drain company that emptied and the builder both said my tank is fine.

He's proposing to install a drainage field with distribution box, pump etc. I don't know for certain but Im pretty sure what's there is a hole in the ground with stones type soakaway.

I'm waiting on the quote but he reckons about 4000 for digging and installing everything and leaving it all ready for raking again. Does this sound decent?

Any other tips? I'm a nervous wreck half expecting a back up any minute.
Thanks
 
I have a septic tank (Biocell) with a pump in it which pumps the treated waste water uphill to a percolation tank (100 feet or so away from septic tank).

Only advice is that if you’re investing in a pump, do spend a few extra quid for a decent one. (€200 should do it).

Also, make sure the distribution box (which I assume feeds the electricity supply to the pump) is 100% watertight, or better again away from exposure to the elements as if that gets wet, it’ll trip your electric trip switch. We use a sealed cabinet similar to the esb meter box.

I speak from bitter experience and expense, having had septic tank and flood/soakage issues for the past year. Though I think you’re probably operating an older septic tank system. My house was built a few years ago only, hence Biocell and Percolation tank system. .
 
I have a septic tank (Biocell) with a pump in it which pumps the treated waste water uphill to a percolation tank (100 feet or so away from septic tank).

Only advice is that if you’re investing in a pump, do spend a few extra quid for a decent one. (€200 should do it).

Also, make sure the distribution box (which I assume feeds the electricity supply to the pump) is 100% watertight, or better again away from exposure to the elements as if that gets wet, it’ll trip your electric trip switch. We use a sealed cabinet similar to the esb meter box.

I speak from bitter experience and expense, having had septic tank and flood/soakage issues for the past year. Though I think you’re probably operating an older septic tank system. My house was built a few years ago only, hence Biocell and Percolation tank system. .
Was yours not done correctly so when the house was built?
I know a few friends that had percolation areas specified in planning but only. Did a hole in the ground job. I want to do this once now and forget about it for good then lol.

Have you installed a grease trap anywhere
 
Also, make sure the distribution box
In percolation system a distribution box is like this: https://delaneyconcrete.ie/wastewater/distribution-boxes/

I know a few friends that had percolation areas specified in planning but only. Did a hole in the ground job
Just remember, you need planning permission if changing from whatever your current system is. You can repair / replace a percolation area, but to install one for first time requires planning permission, soil test, etc.

4k doesn't sound unreasonable to get the problem sorted permanently. There are grants available if it's registered, your income is below a certain amount, and the work is identified as necessary by inspector.
More info: https://www.epa.ie/water/wastewater/info/grants/
 
Was yours not done correctly so when the house was built?
I know a few friends that had percolation areas specified in planning but only. Did a hole in the ground job. I want to do this once now and forget about it for good then lol.

Have you installed a grease trap anywhere
We thought it was done correctly until the area surrounding the septic tank started to flood in heavy rain. I’ve no doubt it was done according to plan and in compliance with regulation. But here we are.
 
So it sounds like the tank is working ok but gets flooded by the soakaway? If that is the case have you looked into a non-return valve between the soakaway and the septic tank?

If it comes to doing a big job on the septic tank, have a look at the new grant scheme that came in last year. I don't know the ins and out but I think they've made it easier to get a grant for a non-performing septic tank.
 
So it sounds like the tank is working ok but gets flooded by the soakaway? If that is the case have you looked into a non-return valve between the soakaway and the septic tank?

If it comes to doing a big job on the septic tank, have a look at the new grant scheme that came in last year. I don't know the ins and out but I think they've made it easier to get a grant for a non-performing septic tank.

Ya both the drain company and the builder insist the tank is fine but will ask that question again.
Can you get a non return valve in that position?
 
My sister had that problem last year, soakaway no longer working right, someone that looked at it said she needed one of those mound type reed bed or some sort of similar system, was costing a fortune and only had a 15 yr lifespan. I'm not remember the whole story correctly at this stage but think a local guy who deals with this stuff sorted it all out for about 1,500. Basically I think she just dug another bit of soakaway, will ask her what exactly happened, all depends I suppose what size your site is, she had a fine size garden out the back so easy enough.
 
Do, I'd be interested to know. Ya we have another qtr acre beyond the existing tank and soakaway
 
Can you get a non return valve in that position?

Honestly I don't know if it would solve the issue entirely but if it was possible it would be a cheaper solution and would protect the septic tank.

A lot of the time with the soakaway it's the gradient of the pipes as oppose to the receiving soil. It's a skill to get the effluent to spread evenly across all pipes. If it's not done correctly you get saturation at some points and dry soil at others.
 
I hea
Honestly I don't know if it would solve the issue entirely but if it was possible it would be a cheaper solution and would protect the septic tank.

A lot of the time with the soakaway it's the gradient of the pipes as oppose to the receiving soil. It's a skill to get the effluent to spread evenly across all pipes. If it's not done correctly you get saturation at some points and dry soil at others.
I hear ya. Its worked away for 20 years so so I'm guessing it's detergents etc and all that blocking it. The builder himself built the house to sell it and judging by the stingness of sockets etc in the house I'm guessing he spent as little as possible on the soakaway too. It fills quite quickly though with us not putting much in at all trying to be careful. I'm assuming the soakaway is full and is draining back in. The drain guy mentioned the other slight possibility is a spring has sprung in the soakaway
 
Our house was built in 2000 and we moved in in 2009. Two adults and one child in the house. Drains have worked away fine since. One blockage before spectic tank a few years ago I cleared with rods but nothing else. Tank passed County Council inspection around 2016. Rainwater goes to separate soakaway and toilets, showers, sinks, machine etc to septic tank.

First tank empty in 2016 and again in early 2020. In 2020 guy said he thought there might be an issue with the soakaway

So it worked well for 20 years. That suggests the percolation area is fine, there is an issue with the piping, possibly it has become blocked. If that is the case a no-return valve will not help for long.

Dig up the percolation piping and repair or replace it. This is a days work for one man with a machine, with negligible materials cost.

He's proposing to install a drainage field with distribution box, pump etc. I don't know for certain but Im pretty sure what's there is a hole in the ground with stones type soakaway.

If the original system failed after a few years this might make sense, but if it worked well for 20 years you just want to repair it as it was.

Thats my thoughts
 
So it worked well for 20 years. That suggests the percolation area is fine, there is an issue with the piping, possibly it has become blocked. If that is the case a no-return valve will not help for long.

Dig up the percolation piping and repair or replace it. This is a days work for one man with a machine, with negligible materials cost.



If the original system failed after a few years this might make sense, but if it worked well for 20 years you just want to repair it as it was.

Thats my thoughts
Thanks
Ya ill have to go over it all again when ye calls again. At the moment if I pump out some of the rain water it's full again 4 hours later, despite almost nothing going into it from the house.
 
Good luck with it, if you're laying new piping I'd recommend a specialist operator (someone associated with a business that sells the tanks) for the reasons previously mentioned. They'll do a better job with gradients and flows that some earthworks fella. I can't post a link to the page regarding septic tank grant information but its on the housing.gov.ie website under domestic waste water treatment 1.
 
I'm guessing you are in a rural area. We've operated a conventional septic tank for over 30 years which is in the field beside the house. I have a background in horticulture. Rainfall events have increased considerably during that time in this area - you can observe this yourself in the fields and by the changes in vegetation in hedgerows and type of weeds in your own garden. The nature of the agriculture in our area has also changed causing more runoff. We had to get the tank emptied after one particularly wet year about ten years ago and replace the percolation. We then improved the rainwater ditches in the field where the tank is ourselves, so that most rainwater goes nowhere near the tank and percolation area now. So far so good. It may well be an issue others have described above, but greater rainfall, and the drainage close to the septic tank to deal with this, can be an element of the issue, as can age of percolation drains.
 
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