Septic Tank Emptying

Sludge production takes place in all septic tanks and sewage treatment plants and it's crucial that systems are emptied / desludged to ensure correct and satisfactory performance.

Septic Tanks

Under normal usage a correctly sized septic tank would require desludging at 12 monthly intervals. When a septic tank is desludged it is important that the tank is emptied to the floor as this is where the majority of sludge will be present. If a septic tank is not emptied at the correct intervals it can result in gross solids passing through the tank and into the receiving soakaway network. This would result in the clogging of the soakaway and can lead to the soakaway failing, causing the septic tank to flood.

Sewage Treatment Plants

Unlike a septic tank, a sewage treatment plant can have mechanical, moving and electrical components in the underground treatment tank. It is therefore important that the persons undertaking the desludging of the treatment plant are familiar with the emptying procedure of the relevant plant.

Due to the variation in designs and sizes of sewage treatment plants, the desludging frequency can vary from 3-12 months. Typically, domestic sewage treatment plants serving a single property will require desludging at 12 monthly intervals, whilst treatment plants serving two properties may require 6 monthly desludging intervals.

For further information on septic tank and sewage treatment plant desludging view the British Water guide to desludgingof sewage treatment systems.

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