Re Septic Tank

karolmc100

My septic tank needs replacement.I have had no inspection to date,my query is there anyway of initiating an inspection which would fail and enable me to avail of the 80% grant or other way of applying for grant if an inspection those not occur.

Nekarsulm

Sure, write an anonymous letter to the county Environmental Officer complaining about the run off from ( insert own name here)'s septic tank.
Or ask a neighbour to do it for you.

TPF2012

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Sure, write an anonymous letter to the county Environmental Officer complaining about the run off from ( insert own name here)'s septic tank.
Or ask a neighbour to do it for you.

I would not recommend the above. I work in the Environmental section of a county council and when we respond to a complaint about a septic tank causing pollution it results in a warning letter and then if no action is taken, a Section 12 notice is issued, which if not complied with will lead to a day out in court, which nobody wants. The only way to get a grant for a septic tank is if the tank is inspected as part of the LA inspection plan. An inspection arising from a compliant does not allow the issuing of a grant.
Maybe ring your local councillor or the engineer or scientist in charge of inspections in your county, usually in environment or water, they may plan a few inspections in your area including yourself.

kowtow

So in a brilliant example of consequences, the introduction of the €50 registration charge, together with the promise of an 80% grant, but combined with a very low number of inspections has resulted in:-

1. Some extra money for the govt. in return for writing down the name of all the Septic tank owners in Frau Merkel's little black book

-and-

2. A load more pollution from leaking tanks, as everyone who would normally have repaired theirs is now waiting for a grant which in fact they cannot get.

Wonderful.

Muckit

Not great alright . If the grant was half that say 40% and open to all it would have more uptake and be more productive.

l've been looking into this for my parents. Some major chancers out there proporting tobe experts in this area.

Septic tanks are now a thing of the past. Sewage treatment plants are now the norm . They are pricey but if they do their job are a good investment. Looking at around €8000 for a retro fit. Many old septic tanks had poor percolation areas or none at all, which was their main problem. But those that had good percolation and sinks/washing machine(dirty water) plumbed separately to a soakaway worked amazingly well. Of course this is not allowed now under new building regulations.

l'm not sure l agree with the new system. Modern detergents have a negative effect on the bacterial breakdown in sewage treatment plants. But it's the way it has to be done to comply with regs.

Nekarsulm

kowtow wrote: »

So in a brilliant example of consequences, the introduction of the €50 registration charge, together with the promise of an 80% grant, but combined with a very low number of inspections has resulted in:-

1. Some extra money for the govt. in return for writing down the name of all the Septic tank owners in Frau Merkel's little black .

The registration scheme was the ultimate scam. Pay 50€ to tell the County Council that you have a septic tank, despite the Council already knowing this information because they themselves had actually give permission for the tank.
And with all planning files online and searchable,back as far as the late 1960's, you were paying a Council official to collate their own information.
Regardless of the fact that these officials were already paid from the public purse to carry out whatever duties they were assigned.

TPF2012

The EPA are the overseers of the Septic tank inspections, LA only carry out the inspections on their behalf. It was only 5 euro to register before 2013.
The EPA collated all the information.

Nekarsulm

TPF2012 wrote: »

The EPA are the overseers of the Septic tank inspections, LA only carry out the inspections on their behalf. It was only 5 euro to register before 2013.
The EPA collated all the information.

But TPF2012, That makes no difference. One branch of Government wanted information held by another branch of Government, but instead of talking to each other, they bring in a whole other layer of beaurochracy, and charge for the pleasure.
The base fact is, that apart for housing getting the 10 year rebate, the County Council only knows that permission was granted, but don't know if construction actually started, finished or even complied with the actual planning design applied for.

TPF2012

Nekarsulm wrote: »

But TPF2012, That makes no difference. One branch of Government wanted information held by another branch of Government, but instead of talking to each other, they bring in a whole other layer of beaurochracy, and charge for the pleasure.
The base fact is, that apart for housing getting the 10 year rebate, the County Council only knows that permission was granted, but don't know if construction actually started, finished or even complied with the actual planning design applied for.

I agree with you about the planning and what the councils know about the actual construction versus proposed construction, very little. A lot of ST and percolation areas are not what was in the plans, location and systems differing, even missing altogether. Even the designs/plans that were passed by planners would leave you scratching your head, percolation areas on steep inclines that are just never going to work.

Nekarsulm

TPF, Without diverting into dodgy councillors and the like, a house near me here in Cavan has been flooded for the third time . It's on low lying land, near a rendering plant (!) and permission was refused by the C.C twice.
Then, wonder of wonders, permission was granted. During constructuon, before the timbers went on for the ceilings, it flooded to the level of the window sills.
They built on anyway, and its now on its third submersion in ten years.

Farrell

We're doing an extension & part of the planning conditions is to desluge & remove the existing septic tank, & replace with new system, the existing tank was registered for €5, can we apply for a grant?

selectamatic

Just to follow up on a point above the changing of the rules making new developments plumb the sinks and washing machines into septic tanks is a disaster, as the detergents have a detrimental effect on the natural bacteria in septic tanks which results in the waste failing to decompose at the desired rate. Our system has the seperate soak pit designed for "water" which has resulted in a highly efficient septic tank as the bacteria is working at the optimun rate. We never had a problem with it in 20 years asside from saturated land in 2009 subsiding and therefore blocking the flow of the percolation system still all that was needed was a couple of digger hours and all was sorted again and it continues to work perfectly. Is there any way around the new regs?
I thought if the seperate soak pit was built to incorporate a treatment area with reeds etc. that it would suffice and the septic tank could be left a seperate entity

_Brian

Nekarsulm wrote: »

TPF, Without diverting into dodgy councillors and the like, a house near me here in Cavan has been flooded for the third time . It's on low lying land, near a rendering plant (!) and permission was refused by the C.C twice.
Then, wonder of wonders, permission was granted. During constructuon, before the timbers went on for the ceilings, it flooded to the level of the window sills.
They built on anyway, and its now on its third submersion in ten years.

Passed it the other day.
Couldn't but just smile to myself. They're obviously happy with the flooding every few years.

_Brian

selectamatic wrote: »

Just to follow up on a point above the changing of the rules making new developments plumb the sinks and washing machines into septic tanks is a disaster, as the detergents have a detrimental effect on the natural bacteria in septic tanks which results in the waste failing to decompose at the desired rate. Our system has the seperate soak pit designed for "water" which has resulted in a highly efficient septic tank as the bacteria is working at the optimun rate. We never had a problem with it in 20 years asside from saturated land in 2009 subsiding and therefore blocking the flow of the percolation system still all that was needed was a couple of digger hours and all was sorted again and it continues to work perfectly. Is there any way around the new regs?
I thought if the seperate soak pit was built to incorporate a treatment area with reeds etc. that it would suffice and the septic tank could be left a seperate entity

If your current system is ever inspected it may well pass.
Only if you fail am inspection will you have to act.

I wouldn't panic.