Dual Raw Sewage Control Panel Relocation
- 16 April, 2020
We put dye in a Septic Tank during a site survey to see whether it discharged into a ditch!
We had to relocate a DRS (Dual Raw Sewage) control panel in Ruskington. There may have been several pipes going into a ditch, or none that were visible at all. By dyeing it at the source, we can confirm if either a pipe that is already visible is connected, or (on the case of these photos) if the ground needed to be cleared to find the pipe, as the dye was coming out from the dirt in the bank. In the end we discovered it was waste discharging into a ditch.
Creative sewage solutions like this make for some interesting and fun pictures! Do you have a unique sewage problem as well?
Contact us, and one of our knowledgeable team members will be happy to discus how we can solve it!
FAQ
Q: How do I test to see if rain water gets into the septic tank?
A: 1. You will need to establish what type of water is flowing through each manhole on the property.
2. You will need to work out where the water from the stormwater manholes flows to e.g. into a ditch or soakaway.
Lift the manhole covers and observe. Have someone flush the toilets, then run the taps for the shower, then bath, etc. The water coming from each of these sources is foul water. And if you see it flowing through the manhole, it is called a foul manhole.
Once you establish that it is a foul manhole, then check to see that no stormwater goes into any foul manhole. To check that, on a rainy day stand in the rain with nobody in the house and see if any water goes through each foul manhole. On a summer’s day you can squirt water into the gutter to imitate rainfall.
Afterwards, draw a plan of the property and show the foul manholes and pipes in red and the pipes and manholes for the stormwater in blue. This is also useful when you sell the house.
Q: Does a sewage treatment plant need a soakaway?
A: Not necessarily. It can quite easily go to a ditch or river or other running water.
Soakaways are fine though. Effluent from a septic tank has 200ppm. Water from a sewage treatment plant has less than 20ppm.
Rainwater is quite clean and about 5 ppm. Tap water is zero of course
Q: What does raw sewage mean?
A: Raw sewage is all the waste from the house. Lavatories, baths, showers, wash basins, kitchen sinks, washing machines, dishwashers, etc.
Q: Is raw sewage dangerous?
A: All sewage is dangerous and needs to be dealt with carefully, by people properly trained.
Q: Can rain water go into a septic tank?
A: NO, heavy rain can wash all the stored solids into the soakaway or ditch or block the ConSept.
Q: How does a BioDisc septic tank work?
A: The term BioDisc refers to a Sewage Treatment Plant made by Klargester. It is not a septic tank.
It can be discharged to the ditch without EA permission as it is an Exempt unit. It can also discharge to a soakaway if there is no ditch.
Read this blog post, Allerton Engineers at Work, for more information.
Q: Can I outfall ConSept treated water to a ditch?
A: YES, but only if you obtain a permit from the EA. Though Allerton will help you with it.
Contact us for more details.
Q: If my septic tank goes into a soakaway, do I need permission to install a ConSept?
A: NO. But you do if you decide to outfall it into a ditch.
Q: Is my house connected to surface water drainage?
A: Probably. The roof water could be led to a ditch, however. In some areas, like Lincoln, both roof water and foul water are taken away in the same pipes.
Q: Why is wastewater a problem?
A: Wastewater poisons the ditches streams and rivers, so little can survive in it. Check our guide on the EA’s General Binding Rules, to see more about the regulations on wastewater.