Sewer connection

mistermister

I am applying for planning to build a house and the house is a good bit up the field. The field borders the main road with the sewer mains. I would like to connect to the mains for sewerage instead of using a septic tank but the distance is approximately 370 metres. Is this too far does anyone think. I heard about using a pump so perhaps this could help.

heinbloed

You can use a pump (or several of them) indeed. This is nothing unusual, many public sewer systems have pump stations included as well.

Check with the local authorities about the depth of their sewers, it might help not to go to the nearest point of connection but to check where the lowest point of the public sewer is. This could save the pump(-chamber).

sydthebeat

Some local authorities will not accept individual dwellings being pumped to a sewer. Is gravity fall not possible?

also, pumping a distance of 370 even up a rise of just 1 m will require a substantial pump for a domestic situation. If the council accept this arrangement, then you will be required to provide detail re the pump as part of an application.

First step would be to contact the council local engineer and find out about policy, and about sewer inverts.

mistermister

The field is fairly flat. Never thought of gravity. And the sewer pipe is a good bit under the road.

rayjdav

Is there a specific reason you dont want a septic tank/treatment system? When all costs are added up for connection to the sewer system, i.e. installation/Pump if required/maintanance/cost of running pump to do that work and the inevitable development contribution that will have to be paid for connection, tallied against a private system, i.e. once off payment and occassional maintanance it may be overall cheaper,, even in the long run to do your own system?? Just a thought to consider??

sydthebeat

rayjdav wrote: »

Is there a specific reason you dont want a septic tank/treatment system? When all costs are added up for connection to the sewer system, i.e. installation/Pump if required/maintanance/cost of running pump to do that work and the inevitable development contribution that will have to be paid for connection, tallied against a private system, i.e. once off payment and occassional maintanance it may be overall cheaper,, even in the long run to do your own system?? Just a thought to consider??

in my experience, the LA will always direct an application to connect to a public sewer if one is available. It may be out of the applicants hands.

mistermister

Convenience mainly. Septic tanks sound like a pain in the hole.

rayjdav

Syd,
I appreciate that that is the "usual" norm but, as the OP stated that he is a few hundred meters from the main line and given if gravity is not available, maybe, just maybe, the LA might see sense:D and allow a stand alone system??
Alot of the rural schemes are operating beyond their capacity, and have been doing so for a great number of years, so maybe the LA could see this as a get out clause. I have dealt with a handful of occasions down here over the years in the SE that the LA were only too happy to let the applicant sort it out himself, obviously to standards...
It's only an option for the OP to consider the fact that they have not applied yet, in case he has not done so already. Maybe on the other hand he has already researched this and has been informed that that is what he must do?

heinbloed

The pump station would lift the sewage to a certain level. From there it falls on it's own by the laws of gravity. The principle of the communicating pipes it is called. The pump would not have to push the entire load for the entire stretch between chamber and public conection. All it does is to lift the sewage 'over the rim'. And of course the stuff has to be macerated.

Several stations could be combined in one length of sewer pipe. Check with the manufacturers, here is a sample:

http://www.wilo.de/cps/rde/xchg/en/layout.xsl/2131.htm

There are many more manufacturers of ready-to-use pump chambers.

A civil engineer would be able to advise on the detailing, but most manufacturers of pump stations have the details ready as well.

I'm using a pump station myself for a length of about 60m and a slope of less than 1m. No problem.

If the outlet pipe diameter is reduced from the standard 100mm down to 50mm (or the like) the system drains itself empty by suction power, i.e. gravity. But the macerator has to work of course.

mistermister

Holy ****. the pump price is E2900. Think I'll stick to a septic tank

heinbloed

€ 250.- for the brand name, 35mm submersible macerator sewage pump. Plus ca. 2m of alfalaval pressure piping/tube from the farmers COOP. That's € 300.- for the pumping, incl. VAT.
A collection tank is available from various manufacturers, depending on size and quality from €250.- onwards.

Where did you get your price from?

mistermister

Some crowd up in the north.

heinbloed

Shop in the South.

Supertech

mistermister wrote: »

I am applying for planning to build a house and the house is a good bit up the field. The field borders the main road with the sewer mains. I would like to connect to the mains for sewerage instead of using a septic tank but the distance is approximately 370 metres. Is this too far does anyone think. I heard about using a pump so perhaps this could help.

370 metres is a fair distance for either type of connection. Even with a gravity feed you'd be likely to have 4 manholes on a run like that, and depending on levels this could be a significant cost. You need to check your levels between the final manhole at the house and the connection point on the drain to see whether or not you need to pump to the connection first, then contact the Area Engineer to see the Council's view.

Brockagh

Sorry for hijacking this thread. I am thinking of getting a pump system in to replace a troublesome septic tank. Are the pumps expensive to run? Are they noisy? And would I be better just getting a better septic tank?