black liquid in percolation area

wexdiy

Hi Guys

Advise needed. I had a very wet spot maybe 4ft square at the start of my percolation area. I only seen this recently because i cut down the long grass that was there for the first time. I have a klargester bio system that I just got emptied but it wasnt emptied for a while before. The percolation area is a raised bed, about 10m x 10m x 1m high. Its a bit wet in placed but i have cut the grass on this now so that might dry up.


So i decided to dig the wet spot to find black oily sludge in the effected area. I eventually found this to be a trickle of water coming from the percolation area with black sludgy soil around the area. There is about 1/2 metres of decent looking soil on top.
I have given up digging for the night but wil eventually find a pipe.

What is this liquid. It doesnt look nice at all. It has a smell but not a very sickening smell. Is it an actual leak or what will i eventually find?

Thanks in advance.

BrenCooney

its effluent from the percolation area/raised bed which has become anoxic.
it is an indication that the percolation area/raised bed is not allowing effluent to percolate to ground water so you could say it is begining to fail.
it is very common with raised percolation areas as they are constructed in areas which have recognised poor percolation.

wexdiy

Thanks

Any solutions??

I have a very large garden and thankfully the problem is in one area only.
Is the sludge save to dump at the end of my garden?

Spannerman7

It seems like there are a number of problems, is there a chance that before it was desludged that some sludge passed over into the final stage and into the percolation area, and also the soakaway or percolation area is waterlogged downbelow, I take it the percolation tests did not go great and hence the raised bed. I could be completely wrong but that is what it sounds like from the description. It's something to be investigated and put right, the leak you describe is probably the tank outlet bypassing the percolation area as it's saturated.

Spannerman7

bury the sludge, it will break down in the soil in dry ground

wexdiy

That is possible. It was very full.
Will it eventually dry up now that everything is emptied. I know my pump is working well as i check it pumping into the percolation this evening and it pumped strongly.
Is it an actualy leak

Spannerman7

I wonder is the system set up right, is the vol of waste being pumped to the perc area too great for it to handle, were you there when the perc area was built and if so what does it consist of. And as Bren said, it is begining to fail

wexdiy

Havent a clue how its setup..
its 5 years old and the builders done it.

There is a 1 inch pipe in the concrete bath on teh percolation area and off that is 5 x 4 inch pipes. once the water flushes in which is very fast for about 5-10 seconds it drains off very fast.

As said its large and looks very soily rather than rubbly from where i have dug back. But after that im not sure hows its setup.

Spannerman7

Wexdiy, I have a fear the perc area may need to be redone, can you take a few photos tomorrow and point out where is wet and what you have found and we will try and advise, there are many things that could be wrong but some pics could tell a lot before you get in the mini digger.
Spannerman

wexdiy

I shall do that no problem.

I need a digger in anyway soon.

is it a big job to redo if it has to be done?

changes

Wexdiy,

Is this the first problem you have had with the system in the last 5 years?

The weather has been fairly dry for the last while so a waterlogged perc area seems unlikely particularly if you haven't had similar problems in years gone by when the ground would have been much wetter.

wexdiy

Well upto recently the entire area (photos tomorrow) was coverd in a few feet of grass but the very wet spot is only 3-4ft max out from the perc area. and may i add its along the same line as the outfeed from the treatment system to the water container on top of the perc area. Thats why i taught it was a broken pipe. but its seeping from a good way in i think.

wexdiy

Hi

I done a bit of digging to source the infeed pipe to the cement tank on the perc area. It was wet here but no leak. I pumped in water into the treatment system to activate the pump and I found the when the water pumped into the cement tank it is leaking through gaps around the 4" pipe and the concrete wall. This is hopefully my problem. Over time this will seep back down the perc area and cause my flooded area.

I will seal the gaps with silicone and keep an eye on it.