Cesspit or Septic Tank?

[Daf]

I have one of these in my Garden. There is only one rectangular manhole cover with a large diameter pipe (you could climb down it) leading to an even bigger chamber at the bottom. It looks like one of them Large onion shaped things you see on the back of lorries on the motorway. It was put into the ground around 1994 if that's any help. There are no other manhole/ drain covers nearby.

Is this a cesspit or a septic tank? Most descriptions of a septic tank suggest a second chamber of some sorts which also has an above ground access chamber.

Thanks in advance.

 

[JohnD]

Cess pits are not usually allowed. If it was built in 1994, and if it has one of those fibreglass onions, it will be a septic tank. there should be an "in" and an "out" soil pipe, as well as the access hole you're crawling down.

BTW if it's big enough to get into, make sure children don't.

Is it still in use? Sometimes they're fitted during construction, prior to conection of services.

 

[Daf]

Thanks John.

It does look like a fibreglass onion. At the top near the manhole cover there are what look like two 4" soil pipes directly opposite each other.

It is still in use and I think that I have to empty it once a year. Been quoted around £100 for doing it.

Any ideas what the lifetime of such a system is?

With regard to saftey, I was thinking that I could build a rockery type structure around it and cover the manhole with chippings. It's quite ugly at the moment as it is about 10' in from the edge of the lawn. Would this be a sensible approach?

 

[JohnD]

there is a slight problrm with hiding the access; one day when you're away it will go wrong and no-one will be able to find it, possibly while sewage is flooding the garden.