Is current waste water 'system' in house sufficent?

gunnerfitzy

Hi all,

I'm almost finished renovating a 100+ year old cottage.

The waste water system in place has been there for decades and consists of the following:

1. Toilet, dishwasher, kitchen sink going into a cess pit. The cess pit has no base allowing the waste water to be absorbed into the ground. There is an overflow outlet pipe that leads to a soak-away outside the cess pit.

2. Shower and bathroom sink going to one soak-away that also takes rainwater

3. Washing machine going into another soak-away that also takes rainwater.

I understand that this is far from ideal however the money simply is not there to put in a complete new system. However I can make some changes that would improve the system until I can afford to replace it.

Can anyone offer some suggestions?

perry stanley

Please ensure rain water cannot enter the soakaways. Greywater does not mix with rainwater. The gutters should be directed elsewhere.
The cess pit should ideally take only blackwater/ sewer only. If you can do this it will work longer. Avoid using strong cleaners etc.

gunnerfitzy

perry stanley wrote: »

Please ensure rain water cannot enter the soakaways. Greywater does not mix with rainwater. The gutters should be directed elsewhere.
The cess pit should ideally take only blackwater/ sewer only. If you can do this it will work longer. Avoid using strong cleaners etc.

Thanks for the reply.

Currently the two soakaways take both greywater and rainwater. Could you explain why they don't mix?

gman2k

Rainwater only should go to soakaways.
Common practice in Ireland has been to put sinks, showers, WHBs etc to soakaways. This is wrong and is against regulations.
Grey water/ black water/ soil water ( call it what you want) has to go to septic tank or other treatment system. You can/ should install a grease trap on your sinks/ washing machine lines to prevent excess grease entering the septic tank. Again, a very easy DIY install.
A new double chambered septic tank installed by the OP will not cost much money, and will be for the benefit of everyone. A concrete one will cost under €1000 delivered, all you have to do is get a good digger and operator on site to ensure the new hole for it will suffice. Connecting the existing foul pipes into the new septic tank is easy DIY, as is connecting the existing percolation pipe exit. If you want, you could install a fibreglass septic tank, but for the extra couple of hundred euro, concrete win s every time.
Rainwater should never, under any circumstances enter the new septic tank. Divert the rainwater to it's own soakaways, well away from the septic tank percolation area.
Normal usage of normal household chemicals will do no harm to the septic tank operation.

gman2k

gunnerfitzy wrote: »

Thanks for the reply.

Currently the two soakaways take both greywater and rainwater. Could you explain why they don't mix?

Rain and foul should not mix, as the excess amount of water entering the system via the rainwater prevents bacterial growth breaking down the waste in the waste water.
You end up flooding your percolation area with water with high levels of bacteria which may then pollute other ground water systems.

gunnerfitzy

Thanks for the reply gman2k.

I have looked into having the existing cess pit replaced. Firstly,any upgrade to the existing cess pit and soak-away eg replacement with new septic tank would require planning permission. This would entail site suitability tests with the likely outcome of a stipulation that a biocycle type treatment centre is required.

Unfortunately, the money just isn't there to do this at this time. There is a lot of talk about grants coming on stream for waste water system upgrading. I would hope that some serious savings coupled with such a scheme would allow me to do this next year hopefully. My goal now is the make the best out of the system that in place until then.

The idea of a grease trap for the dishwasher / kitchen sink pipe as you suggested has been mentioned to me previously and I will certainly be installing one.

Can you suggest any further improvements that does not require planning permission?

gunnerfitzy

gman2k wrote: »

Rain and foul should not mix, as the excess amount of water entering the system via the rainwater prevents bacterial growth breaking down the waste in the waste water.
You end up flooding your percolation area with water with high levels of bacteria which may then pollute other ground water systems.

Currently the rainwater, shower, bathroom sink and washing machine are going into soak-aways some distance from the cess pit. The cess pit does not have percolation area but instead the waste water in cess pit soaks into the ground inside the pit plus there is a overflow pipe from cesspit to a seperate soak-away outside the tank.

When I asked the question about rainwater and grey water mixing it was because the washing machine waste water currently goes into a soakaway that rainwater also goes into and the shower waster water also goes into another soak-away with rainwater.

While not ideal I know is there any reason rainwater should not go into these specific soak-aways?

gunnerfitzy

Folks, the company redoing some of my pipework has said that I do not need a grease trap as only black water and kitchen sink/dishwasher is going to my septic tank plus the small size of the household (2/3).

I would be inclined to put it in anyway but if it really was unnecessary then I could also really do with pocketing the €250.

Any thoughts?

Victor

gunnerfitzy wrote: »

I understand that this is far from ideal however the money simply is not there to put in a complete new system.

Then can you afford the property? Doing basics like sewage is more important than niceties.

gunnerfitzy

Victor wrote: »

Then can you afford the property? Doing basics like sewage is more important than niceties.

Victor,

I am not skimping on necessities to purchase 50inch plasma TVs etc. There is a functioning sewage system in place that was built with standard practices of the time.

I do wish to upgrade/replace it in time but until then I would like constructive suggestions on improving the current system.

sydthebeat

gunnerfitzy wrote: »

Victor,

I am not skimping on necessities to purchase 50inch plasma TVs etc. There is a functioning sewage system in place that was built with standard practices of the time.

I do wish to upgrade/replace it in time but until then I would like constructive suggestions on improving the current system.

gunner,

you MUST comply with building regulations.

Part H "drainage" states that:
"(1) A building shall be provided with such a drainage system as may be necessary
for the hygienic and adequate disposal of foul water from the building.
(2) A building shall be provided with such a drainage system as may be necessary for the adequate disposal of surface water from the building.
(3) No part of a drainage system conveying foul water shall be connected to a sewer reserved for surface water and no part of a drainage system conveying surface water shall be connected to a sewer reserved for foul water.


If you dont you are breaking the law and can be prosecuted.

gunnerfitzy

sydthebeat wrote: »

gunner,

you MUST comply with building regulations.

Part H "drainage" states that:
"(1) A building shall be provided with such a drainage system as may be necessary
for the hygienic and adequate disposal of foul water from the building.
(2) A building shall be provided with such a drainage system as may be necessary for the adequate disposal of surface water from the building.
(3) No part of a drainage system conveying foul water shall be connected to a sewer reserved for surface water and no part of a drainage system conveying surface water shall be connected to a sewer reserved for foul water.


If you dont you are breaking the law and can be prosecuted.

You are of course correct in stating that building regulations should be adhered to. I would like to state that it is certainly not my intention to breech the current regulations. However, it my understanding that, and I am open to correction on this, the building regulations only apply to that part of the construction that you are currently building/renovating etc.

In other words, any upgrade or replacement of the septic tank would require have to comply with current regulations, furthermore, if the current system was installed in compliance with the regulations that where present at the time of construction and is not a source of pollution then there is no requirement for it to be upgraded to current standards.

If I am wrong in this interpretation please let me know.

sydthebeat

not my understanding.

you are carrying out a "material alteration" to the building, thus the building must comply with Part H, according to the regulations.... and Part H requires that the building shall be provided with such a drainage system as may be necessary for the hygienic and adequate disposal of foul water