Cess Pit

[andrew]

I have a three chamber cess pit, which is mildly backing up into the main feeder pipe, and causing this pipe to block, because it is not flowing fast enough. I had a problem with it last year when I had it emptied, when in fact I had a blocked pipe. It has been ok for 7-8 months, but now again it is a problem. When it was cleared last year there was thick grey crust in the tank which was removed along with everything else. Now there is just a liquid mix, no crust. There has a been a very wet winter and a couple of times after very heavy rain the pipes in the house been gurgling when water was flushed away. Where can I find details (preferably in pictures and words of one syllable) of how it should work and what it should look like (possibly what it shouldn't look like). What is the best route to fixing the problem.

[Bypass]

The first thing to establish is whether you actually have a cesspit (cesspool) or a septic tank.

A cesspit is essentially a holding tank, and once the tank is full you have to empty it. A septic tank operates in a slightly different way, where the liquor is continuously discharged, normally through a land drainage system and the solids get biologically digested in the tank. The crust on the top is an important part of the process and shouldn't be removed. At some stage though, the tank will have to be de-sludged.

Whichever system you have though, you really should separate out and divert your roof water drainage away from the tank.

A good place to start, for some background information, is the Building Regulations Approved Document H: Drainage. It's a well laid out publication, easy to understand and if I remember correct, does explain the technical differences between cesspits and septic tanks. Here's the link, but the Planning Portal page didn't seem to want to load when I tried it earlier.

fact that you have three chambers suggests to me that you have a septic tank, and that the problems may rest with the fact that;

a) your land drainage system isn't working efficiently, or

b) you're getting too much rainwater into the tank

[Ian]

The Cente for Alternative Technology

has lots of good books on cess pits, septic tanks and everything in between. I have this one: and find it very useful.

Ian

[PeterK]

Andrew Do you mean a septic tank? if so I presume its a brick/concrete construction and the FAQ at

is a good start.

Peter K

[The Natural Philosopher]

Install a klargester biodisc, and have no worries.

[Bypass]

Provided of course, the OP's system isn't being overwhelmed by stormwater.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Indeed. Fix that as well.

[Duracell Bunny]

None of my septic tanks take stormwater, that's asking for trouble.

Whenever my septics overflow, invariably it's tree roots in the clay pipes feeding to, or from, the tank - after all, we're talking about nutrient rich content here. I just get a plumber in with an electric eel to saw through the roots, then I knock over the offending tree to prevent a repeat occurance.

The other thing you might check is that the baffles that form the three chambers are not compromised in any way, else you will not get the required circulation within the tank. If they are damaged, it's a trivial job to fix.

[John]

How old is it? Sounds like the soakaway is blocked. They are supposed to last about

20 years but many do more than that.

John

[Jon]

[e-mail] declared for all the world to hear...

Tie a knot in it!