Part H Section H2 Wastewater treatment systems & cesspools Below ground solutions- septic tanks treatment plants

Any sepic tank with a appropriate form of secondary treatment, or other wastewater treatment system or cesspool, shall be so sited and constructed that:

A) It is not prejudicial to the health of any person
B) It will not contamiate a watercourse of any underground water or water supply
c) there are adequate means of access for emptying and mainteance
D)It will maintain and adequate level of function in the evert of a power failure.

Any septic tank, settlement tank or cesspool shall be:
A) Of adquate capacity and so construted that it is impermeable to liquids
B)Adequate Ventilated

A septic tank must have a minumum size of of 2720 litre for 4 people with an extra 180 litres per extra person. a septic tank does not treat sewage, it only settles it. As the effluent from septic tank can be harmful a specially construced drainage field is required. Alternativel a secondary treatment plant which takes the effluent through a biological process can be used which treats the sewage so that it is safe it discharge straight into the watercourse.

Drainage Fields - Drain fields typically consist of sub - surface irrigation pipes which allow the effluent to percolate into the surrounding soil. Biological treatment takes place naturally in the aerated layers of soil.

 

Specifications Septic Tanks Septic tank should have a durable cover that is lockable or engineered to prevent entry. Septic tanks should have a sampling chamber between the tank and the drainage field. They depend totally on the drainage field to work effectively and therefore ground condictions and corrrect installation are critical Effluent cannot be discharged directly into a watercourse.
	Treatment Plants Factory built package completely reliable solution Adaptable to most site conditions Effluent can be discharged direct into a watercourse

 

Cesspools

This is a water tight which is installed underground for the storage of sewage. No treatment is involved. A cesspool is costly to install and requires frequent emptying. It takes up a lot of space a should only be used as a last resort, when no other option is available.