Cesspool

[croc]

Hi all,
I have recently bought a semi detached cottage in a village with no mains drainage. I have made an huge error through not thinking it through properly and as a result now own a property with a cesspool that needs emptying every 8 weeks or so at the cost of around £285 to get rid of the 3000gls. Its a brick built chamber built in the late 70's and takes up most of the garden. I cant afford to live there at that cost.
I have been looking into sewage treatment plants and septic tanks but the building regulations I have read (H2) point out that it has to be at least 7m from any building. My current cesspool certainly isnt and is of an inadequate size it also terrifies me that it might collapse or something.
Any help or advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
Shaun

 

[jeds]

I'm afraid it's not as simple as that. A septic tank also needs a drainage system. The design of the system depends on location and ground conditions but the smallest I've ever seen is 30 or 40 metres in length and it's not unusual for them to run to a hundred metres. A package treatment plant is a simpler system but must discharge into a water course - or reed bed.

In the meantime you should obviously look very carefully at water saving devices.

 

[croc]

Thanks for the reply. I am thinking of a sewage treatment plant now. I understand the effluent is of a high quality, so much so that it can be diverted into rivers etc. I unfortunately dont have a river at the bottom of my garden but a storm drain on the road is a few metres away. If allowed to drain into this, would there be a problem replacing my cess pit with a sewage treatment plant. Sounds good to me, but then so did buying this house. Oops.

 

[bongos]

Frustrating. Sounds like something our solicitor should have picked up. Or maybe did and you weren't aware of the cost?

Anyway, i cant see you being allowed to pump raw sewage into a storm drain. Would think this is a definite no.

Not sure if its any use but my parents have all i can describe as a "sewage pump" in their garden. They and the two houses above live below the mains sewage level so the sewage collects in a sort of sump in the ground and is then pumped up to the mains sewer. A distance of around 100m maybe. This probably wont help you if whole village has no mains sewerage though. OOI what do your neighbours do? Same costs? Maybe you could all come together and build something although I guess it depends on how long you will be there for and would expect it is probably a big financial commiiment.

As already suggested, i think water saving devices are going to be your biggest money saver.

 

[croc]

I have spoken to the environment agency and the only option available is to convince the highways agency to allow treated effluent from a package sewage treatment plant to go into their storm drain. This is permitted. I will await their reply. Fingers crossed.
Every one else in the village has a septic tank as they have the land available.

 

[clifford1]

How did the previous owners manage? Were they perhaps more frugal with water?