Alternatives to these sewage treatment package plants (biodiscs)??

[Sean]

Hi there

I'm trying to obtain discharge consent from the EA. I originally applied for a septic tank and filter to discharge to a watercourse. They told me the run on the watercourse wasn't enough to allow this. My percolation tests failed (300 sec/mm when it needs to be under 140 sec/mm) also so soak aways won't work either. I'm after a solution that doesn't involve excess maintenance and associated ongoing costs (which I believe will be required with treatment plants what with electric motors and moving parts). Does anybody have any solutions to this conundrum? For instance with enough filters can a septic tank arrangement be used to discharge into a slow running watercourse/ditch. Any advice would be appreciated.

TIA Sean

[Peter Scott]

I've had a treatment plant for 16 years for the reasons you list. If you choose one that only has an air line to it they are reliable and cheaper to install. My air pump is in a shed. Mine is an Entec Biotec with three chambers, aeration and a filter bed. They are now made by Titan. Cost about 5000ukp to install and 150 to

200 a year to service and empty. Over a number of years this is about the same as paying for mains sewage allowing for price rises from our 'efficient, privatised water companies'.

Peter Scott

[The Natural Philosopher]

You believe wrong. Mine's been in 5 years and I haven't touched it.

The disk turns really slowly.

Get the biodisc. And look at it every year or so, and if it smells when you open the lid (ours doesn't after five years) get someone in to empty it.

You have to empty any septic tank anyway, so its no extra cost.

[Holly in France]

Have a google for reed beds??

[Sean]

Thanks for the responses guys

Klargester who also own Titan (all part of the Kingspan group - talk about cartel) told me that I couldn't use the biotec to discharge in to a watercourse (drainage ditch) and that I had to go with the klargester biodisc. Don't really want to go down this road (5 years experience of a biodisc doesn't really prove the systems robustness IMHO and I would have fears about it over a longer period. I would really prefer a Septic Tank + filter + filter arrangement if I could get away with it. Does anyone know if it is possible to discharge to a drainage ditch with this type of arrangement or similar?

[The Natural Philosopher]

Honetstly, these have been around for years - most houses round here have em, and I have never head of one that ever needed more than an occasional empty.

I think your fears, whilst understandable, are completely unfounded.

I would

I am sure that alternatives do exist, but not as packaged solutions that building control will just accept and tick off.

You would need a professional firm to essentially 'prove' to the BCO and environment people that the solution was equivalent to a biodisc. You would also find I suspect it was very expensive to install and higher maintenance - reed beds and the like can ad do get blocked.

Ther other possibility is pumping air into a tank to aerate teh sewage. But there again you need a cable and a motor too...so its little different from a biodisc.

[Rick]

you need a fast flow watercource to empty into, so that you don't build up concentrations of disposed water.

there are the "air blower" type, the only moving part being a little air blower sat in a nice dry place.

Rick

[Pete C]

Have a google on uk.d-i-y too, this company have been mentioned in the past:

cheers, Pete.

[Peter Scott]

Maybe the rules have changed, but I was told to install my biotec exactly because I have to discharge into a watercourse. You sure that this is not a marketting ploy by Klargester?

I am interested in the idea of reed beds. Don't you need a *lot* of space and willingness to put up with a bit of a pong?

Peter Scott

[Mike]

Yes. Ideally the active spot should rotate round a bit.

Shouldn't be.

However current thoughts in 'officialdom' are against them. If anybody has anything that could convince a sceptical authority I'd be glad to hear it.

[Holly in France]

I'm just dashing out, don't have time to search, but if you google the archives, alt.permaculture in particular, for posts by 'reedbed' and find his website, if it is still online, you will find alot of good info there. Never used reed beds myself but have seen them elsewhere, no pong! HTH, and if you find the site please post the address and I will bookmark it for another time.