Septic Tank Soakaway Problems

Did your septic tank fail or is your soakaway blocked? Do you know the difference? Or maybe your pump station or septic tank conversion stopped working and you’re not sure why? We are here to answer all of your sewage treatment questions, especially when things go wrong!

Soakaway Blocked?

Sometimes natural or unnatural things can clog the system and stop a sewage treatment plant, pump station, or septic tank conversion from working.

If that happens to you, call us! Our friendly and supportive staff will assist you every step of the way. If your septic tank has failed, Allerton can:

  • Repair it
  • Add a Soakaway
  • Make a Septic Tank Conversion
  • Replace it

However, we also offer many more services and products beyond that with great value for money. Sometimes a pump station needs to be added to make sure the effluent travels to the correct destination. These can get clogged as well if you’re not careful as you can see in the photo.

You might want to keep in mind that the treatment of sewage is important when it comes to the valuation of your property. Having a fully working system means a lot when a house is being surveyed. Therefore, you should see it as an investment, not a repair.

We are more than happy to help fix your problem. Contact us and we will be happy to make a site visit free of charge. Keep reading to learn more about how sewage treatment systems work and the problems that can happen.

Sewage Treatment System Problems

Sewage Treatment Plant

This is low quality effluent from a 1940s sewage treatment system. It was not emptied regularly which caused problems.

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Pump Stations

Shampoo bottles can sometimes block a sewage pump station. Nature sometimes causes blockages as well, read more...

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Septic Tank Conversion

Our unit is the ConSept and this is a case when weeds blocked the chamber. Click to learn more.

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What are our customers saying?

"Hi Aaron…Jason and James… Just a quick message to say thank you once again for assisting us with our issue regarding root penetration by the pipe joint. We would like to say that not only did we appreciate James initially coming to do the overall check on Friday 3rd January, but also today's work to remedy this issue. James was great and we feel hopeful that the work undertaken will solve our issue. We appreciate everything that each of you did in assisting us and were impressed with the way Allertons dealt with us. Many thanks again and kind regards to you all... particularly James."
Mr and Mrs Baker

What are our customers saying?

"Hi Aaron…Jason and James… Just a quick message to say thank you once again for assisting us with our issue regarding root penetration by the pipe joint. We would like to say that not only did we appreciate James initially coming to do the overall check on Friday 3rd January, but also today's work to remedy this issue. James was great and we feel hopeful that the work undertaken will solve our issue. We appreciate everything that each of you did in assisting us and were impressed with the way Allertons dealt with us. Many thanks again and kind regards to you all... particularly James."
Mr and Mrs Baker

About Septic Tanks

A Septic Tank is a tank in the ground which partially treats raw sewage before the dirty water goes into a soakaway.

For many generations Septic Tanks were the standard way of treating sewage. Although the effluent should go into a soakaway, sometimes it goes illegally into the river system (including ditches). Environmental guidelines have changed recently, so it is important to ensure your Septic Tank is up to date.  A Septic Tank works by:

  • The raw sewage is directed downwards by a T shaped inlet pipe.

The idea is that the sinking solids settle at the bottom, and the floating solids float on the surface. -Floating solids are composed of fats, oils and greases (FOG).

  • To prevent the floating solids escaping, we have a similar T shaped outlet pipe.

If the water in the soakaway gets above the top of this T pipe, the floating solids can escape.

What Causes the Septic Tank Soakaway to Fail?

The soakaway starts filling up from day one and the FOG used in cooking is not broken down by anaerobic bacteria. Soakaways start to block from day one.

Gradually all the soil gets blocked so that water can no longer escape. If the water backs up in the Septic Tank so that the level of water rises above the Tee on the outlet pipe then the FOG, the main part of the floating solids instead of being retained, escapes!

The FOG soon smothers the soil and the good aerobic bacteria is prevented from breaking down the organic matter. The soakaway is very soon not fit for anything.

Septic Tank Emptying (Desludging)

The water between the floating solids and the sinking solids is called the settlement zone. This should be about a metre deep, giving time for the fine solids to settle onto the bottom. If the floating solids accumulate at the top, and the sinking solids accumulate at the bottom, then clearly the zone between them gets smaller – meaning that the water travels faster through the tank.

By speeding up the rate of flow, the solids don’t have time to settle out. This means that raw sewage ends up in the soakaway! This is why the Septic Tank should be emptied once a year.

What Can Go Wrong With Desludging?

If the man doing the desludging happens to break the Tee on the Outlet pipe then clearly all the floating solids, including FOG, simply flow out into the soakaway once the Septic Tank is full, usually after a few days. No one notices but the soakaway now has to cope with the worst part of the organic matter.

The Tee on the lnlet pipe is about 600mm long, so as to direct all solids down into the part of the tank furthest from the Outlet pipe.
 
Over time, if the septic tank is badly maintaned, the sludge becomes more solid under pressure, a bit like clay. It is important that all of this is removed and this could involve backwashing where the tanker water is released back into the septic tank to soften the solids. This may not work if the tank has been allowed to settle for too long. So the next visit needs a tanker with jetting facilities.
 
If you are having your septic tank emptied for the first time in several years, you should watch over the desludger man to make sure that all the solids are removed.
 

Sewage Treatment Plant or Septic Tank?

When your system stops working and you don’t know what to do, Allerton can guide you every step of the way. We like to be transparent and informative so you can put your worries to rest.

You’ve got a failed septic tank system, what are your options?

  1. Replace the existing soakaway.
  2. Install a pump station, and the pump the effluent to a shallower soakaway.
  3. Convert the Septic Tank to a sewage treatment plant.
  4. Replace the Septic Tank with a sewage treatment plant and a soakaway.
  5. Replace it with Sewage Treatment Plant and pump to a shallow soakaway.
  6. Replace it with Sewage Treatment Plant and pump to the ditch.
  7. Replace it with Sewage Treatment Plant and simply gravitate to a ditch.
     

Having a product that works is a worthwhile investment for the long term. There are a variety of factors to consider such as:

  • the number of people on the system (Population Equivalent)
  • do you need to employ a pump
  • how much space and access is available for the installation
  • the work should be carried out by qualified British Water engineers

Septic Tank

If you will be discharging into a river, keep in mind that the Environmental Agency requires effluent to be discharged at 20 BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand). Read more about this process on our blog post about turning raw sewage into clean water.  A Septic Tank can only produce 200 BOD with the best conditions, so in this situation we recommend installing an Allerton ConSept inside the Septic Tank.

Sewage Treatment Plant

A sewage treatment plant is a great option for treating the effluent from your property. We have products for large and small buildings, plus everything in between.

Septic Tanks vs Sewage Treatment Plants

About Septic Tanks

A Septic Tank is a tank in the ground which partially treats raw sewage before the dirty water goes into a soakaway.

For many generations Septic Tanks were the standard way of treating sewage. Although the effluent should go into a soakaway, sometimes it goes illegally into the river system (including ditches). Environmental guidelines have changed recently, so it is important to ensure your Septic Tank is up to date.  A Septic Tank works by:

  • The raw sewage is directed downwards by a T shaped inlet pipe.

The idea is that the sinking solids settle at the bottom, and the floating solids float on the surface. -Floating solids are composed of fats, oils and greases (FOG).

  • To prevent the floating solids escaping, we have a similar T shaped outlet pipe.

If the water in the soakaway gets above the top of this T pipe, the floating solids can escape.

What Causes the Septic Tank Soakaway to Fail?

The soakaway starts filling up from day one and the FOG used in cooking is not broken down by anaerobic bacteria. Soakaways start to block from day one.

Gradually all the soil gets blocked so that water can no longer escape. If the water backs up in the Septic Tank so that the level of water rises above the Tee on the outlet pipe then the FOG, the main part of the floating solides instead of being retained, escapes!

The FOG soon smothers the soil and the good aerobic bacteria is prevented from breaking down the organic matter. The soakaway is very soon not fit for anything.

Septic Tank Emptying

The water between the floating solids and the sinking solids is called the settlement zone. This should be about a metre deep, giving time for the fine solids to settle onto the bottom. If the floating solids accumulate at the top, and the sinking solids accumulate at the bottom, then clearly the zone between them gets smaller – meaning that the water travels faster through the tank.

By speeding up the rate of flow, the solids don’t have time to settle out. This means that raw sewage ends up in the soakaway! This is why the Septic Tank should be emptied once a year.

Desludging

If the man doing the desludging happens to break the Tee on the Outlet pipe then clearly all the floating solids, including FOG, simply flow out into the soakaway once the Septic Tank is full, usually after a few days. No one notices but the soakaway now has to cope with the worst part of the organic matter.

The Tee on the lnlet pipe is about 600mm long, so as to direct all solids down into the part of the tank furthest from the Outlet pipe.
 

Sewage Treatment Plant or Septic Tank?

When your system stops working and you don’t know what to do, Allerton can guide you every step of the way. We like to be transparent and informative so you can put your worries to rest.

You’ve got a failed septic tank system, what are your options?

  1. Replace the existing soakaway.
  2. Install a pump station, and the pump the effluent to a shallower soakaway.
  3. Convert the Septic Tank to a sewage treatment plant.
  4. Replace the Septic Tank with a sewage treatment plant and a soakaway.
  5. Replace it with Sewage Treatment Plant and pump to a shallow soakaway.
  6. Replace it with Sewage Treatment Plant and pump to the ditch.
  7. Replace it with Sewage Treatment Plant and simply gravitate to a ditch.
     

Having a product that works is a worthwhile investment for the long term. There are a variety of factors to consider such as:

  • the number of people on the system (Population Equivalent)
  • do you need to employ a pump
  • how much space and access is available for the installation
  • the work should be carried out by qualified British Water engineers

Septic Tank

If you will be discharging into a river, keep in mind that the Environmental Agency requires effluent to be discharged at 20 BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand). Read more about this process on our blog post about turning raw sewage into clean water.  A Septic Tank can only produce 200 BOD with the best conditions, so in this situation we recommend installing an Allerton ConSept inside the Septic Tank.

Sewage Treatment Plant

A sewage treatment plant is a great option for treating the effluent from your property. We have products for large and small buildings, plus everything in between.

Septic Tanks vs Sewage Treatment Plants

Learn more about common sewage treatment problems

Converting horrible sewage into relatively clean water and using nature to do it seems like a miracle at times. To do it is not so easy though. That is the constant challenge.

If there is excessive use of chemicals, then the bacteria are killed. We need the aerobic bacteria to break down not just the organic matter, but the chemicals as well.

We use bleach and other agents for cleaning the house and chemicals on our hair and bodies. We use chemicals to sterilise our hands. We use all sorts of powerful agents in the kitchen sink. All this has to be neutralise by our friendly bacteria. If too much chemical is used, then they can’t do the job properly.
 
Oil and grease suffocate the aerobic bacteria, allowing the anaerobic bacteria to make the whole lot septic again. Putting spent oil into a bottle is better than down the sink.
 
So, everything is permitted but in moderation!

At Allerton, we have units that we still service and they are 25 years old and going strong.

Klargester are even older!
 
They are not made for a limited life as white furniture is. They do need to be maintained though. Fortunately there are no moving parts in the WPL units.  The diamond Sewage Treatment Plant relies on a blower and when we service the unit we make sure the blower is good for another year at least. We are constantly refurbishing and replacing them so as to keep the m working constantly  I cannot think of anything else that lasts  as long 

This is a piece of kit which converts raw sewage to clean water. Not clean enough to drink of course as it can still carry E. coli and other pathogens.

It is high in nitrates and phosphate. I should not be sprayed onto plants but can be used as underground irrigation. Roots have the ability to take what they want and to leave the pathogens in the ground.

Sludge is the solids that collect in a septic tank or sewage treatment plant and it needs to be removed to be dealt with by the Water Authorites

Get it serviced properly. Check that it is not being overloaded above what it was designed for.

For Diamond units, every 3 to 5 years.

Why Allerton?

Qualified

Having Allerton service your unit each year means that the problem is recognised quickly and the drainage system saved. We are specialists in off-mains drainage and have 50 years of experience and are knowledgeable in servicing all types of sewage treatment plant installed in the UK.

Value for Money

We offer a free initial consultation for installations, even if we have to travel a distance to do the site visit. We keep our customers in mind when it comes to pricing. We have saved our customers hundreds of pounds over the years. We can do the same for you! Speak to us for a quote!

Friendly

From the office staff to the engineers in the field we are extremely friendly and have received great reviews to prove it. You know you're in good hands with Allerton

Why Allerton?

Qualified

Having Allerton service your unit each year means that the problem is recognised quickly and the drainage system saved. We are specialists in off-mains drainage and have 50 years of experience and are knowledgeable in servicing all types of sewage treatment plant installed in the UK.

Value for Money

We offer a free initial consultation for installations, even if we have to travel a distance to do the site visit. We keep our customers in mind when it comes to pricing. We have saved our customers hundreds of pounds over the years. We can do the same for you! Speak to us for a quote!

Friendly

From the office staff to the engineers in the field we are extremely friendly and have received great reviews to prove it. You know you're in good hands with Allerton

Ready to arrange an appointment?

Contact our office to arrange a visit. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

Ready to arrange an appointment?

Contact our office to arrange a visit. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

Carrie ArmitageCarrie Armitage
05:11 28 Aug 24
Allerton's work installing a new domestic sewage treatment plant was first rate. From the initial visit and quote through to the installation everything was prompt, efficient, friendly and lived up to all promises and expectations. The installation team were great to work with, and despite some interesting old drainage issues when excavating the new location and decommissioning the old septic tank, they maintained their good humour and professionalism throughout. I can highly recommend their services. Thank you.
Lisa DavidsonLisa Davidson
05:27 23 Aug 24
Excellent system and the engineer (Dayton) who carried out our annual service recently is clearly very skilled, taking the time to explain things to us and ensuring the septic tank was working correctly, he also enjoys his job which is refreshing to see. The tank still doesn't need emptying after 3 years, very satisfied!
mark quigleymark quigley
10:46 16 Aug 24
Excellent service, great communication and lovely people to deal with.I first wrote this review 3 years ago and they have consistently delivered excellent service since then. Very friendly and professional
Malcolm HarringtonMalcolm Harrington
16:36 02 Aug 24
The Allerton team were excellent. Their work was excellent and their great attitude a credit to them and Allerton.I recommend them highly.
Catherine WhitallCatherine Whitall
15:01 26 Jul 24
Many thanks to Allerton Bradley and especially Jason, Chris, James, Aaron and the team for a top rate service from start to finish. Had a new Diamond DMS3 water treatment plant installed to replace our old septic tank. Extremely professional installation, great communication throughout from the guys on site and the office, tidy, punctual and a fantastic end result. I would say I'm not the easiest to work for, have very high standards, know exactly the job i want done, do not employ many companies as prefer to carry out most jobs myself, however it was a pleasure having these guys on site. Would not hesitate to recommend. Oh and its great to be able to use the loo's etc whenever needed rather than going to the local garden center to use their facilities!!! Many Thanks, Graham & Catherine
Shelley WilliamsShelley Williams
07:14 01 May 24
Cannot recommend Allertons enough! Excellent service with speedy attendance by an engineer and the problem of a faulty timer was resolved without being too costly! Will definitely be saving their contact number on speed dial!
Paul ScottPaul Scott
15:20 22 Apr 24
We have used Allerton to maintain our household pump system for several years. Always found their staff pleasant and helpful. Last weekend a fault developed which we reported on the Monday morning. By Monday afternoon they had called, identified the fault, offered advice, made the repair and everything left tidy and all with a smile.
Cherie PearsonCherie Pearson
16:12 16 Apr 24
Great service, good to receive email reminder when service is due!Very pleasant person arrived promptly to do the service.
harriette Bradleyharriette Bradley
15:44 01 Apr 24
Fantastic service from Allerton. Chris was brilliant! He was punctual, polite and professional. The finish was outstanding. We are so pleased with the result. Would definitely recommend Allerton and Chris. Thank you so much.
Nigel SellersNigel Sellers
10:40 12 Jan 24
Living close to one of Hampshire's best chalk stream rivers, having the right treatment plant that is compliant and meets with the EA's stringent regulations is a necessity. Our old cesspit did not meet with the latest regulations so when we looked into changing to a sewage treatment plant Allerton gave us the reassurance and expert knowledge that we needed. The treatment plant has been installed for over a year now and we have just had our annual service. The team at Allerton are all knowledgeable, professional, helpful and courteous when ever I have needed to contact them, nothing is too much trouble. I would recommend the company and specially if you live close to a river where specialist advice is needed when considering the options of changing from a septic tank arrangement to a compliant treatment plant.
David Le SueurDavid Le Sueur
14:17 11 Jan 24
Alerton is a reliable company that thrives on clear customer contact, providing us with a no nonsense practical service that is invaluable and most necessary.Allerton personnel are pleasant, informed and helpful. We have used the company for years and intend to stay with them.Thank you Allerton for your immaculate service.
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