Of course somebody will come round to repair/enter it. It won't be easy or cheap and it's not something I'd like to do, but sewerage work is a trade like any other and somebody will do it. On TV a while back (can't remember what programme) they had a diver who specialised in diving to the bottom of the big tanks at sewage treatment works to do repairs - if theres a job to do somebody will do it.
Unusual sewage system - 'everlasting pit'
- Thread starter davidkent
- Start date
Of course somebody will come round to repair/enter it. It won't be easy or cheap and it's not something I'd like to do, but sewerage work is a trade like any other and somebody will do it. On TV a while back (can't remember what programme) they had a diver who specialised in diving to the bottom of the big tanks at sewage treatment works to do repairs - if theres a job to do somebody will do it.
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Interesting, but paying the charge levied by anyone willing to do such a job would certainly be impossible for me. And there would also be the
possibility of a recurrence. I also remember being told by the vendor that the area had a 'flash flood' earlier this year and a high percentage of properties needed roof repairs as it was so intense, i.e., the roofing came away from its fastenings. That could hardly have helped the pit system.
To me, the property had many things in its favour - character, a good location, and the right number of rooms and sized garden, but experienced builders I spoke to said there was a likelihood of problems that would become greater as time went on, and I certainly couldn't afford a sudden £15,000 or so for linking to the mains sewer. I also discovered that all residents were given the opportunity to link up but four of these who had older properties declined the offer which was regrettable as it certainly creates problems with reselling to most people.
I have now found another property in the same area that is modern without this problem although I am starting this about £1000 poorer (surveyor and wasted solicitor's work)!
possibility of a recurrence. I also remember being told by the vendor that the area had a 'flash flood' earlier this year and a high percentage of properties needed roof repairs as it was so intense, i.e., the roofing came away from its fastenings. That could hardly have helped the pit system.
To me, the property had many things in its favour - character, a good location, and the right number of rooms and sized garden, but experienced builders I spoke to said there was a likelihood of problems that would become greater as time went on, and I certainly couldn't afford a sudden £15,000 or so for linking to the mains sewer. I also discovered that all residents were given the opportunity to link up but four of these who had older properties declined the offer which was regrettable as it certainly creates problems with reselling to most people.
I have now found another property in the same area that is modern without this problem although I am starting this about £1000 poorer (surveyor and wasted solicitor's work)!
I'd have been much more worred about the reoccurence of such flash floods than about this pit - which probably withstood the flood with little ill effect - after all ,its just a pit in the ground so wouldn't have been any more affected by flooding than any other patch of ground.
I tend to agree with cjard and others that it's lasted for 80 years and although might not last forever will probably go on for a good few decades to come with little intervention. But there's a limit to the life of all parts of a house - given a hundred years with no maintainance or repair, walls will fall down, roofs will collapse, etc. Repair and renewal is an integral part of houseowning. This pit is no different. But perhaps you're just a bit more risk-averse than I am so fair play to you.
You're amusing. The only actual, existing problem was in your own head
I can promise you that you're on a hiding to nothing with this house-ownership malarkey if you think £1000 is a significant sum, if you think modern houses never have anything go wrong and if you think that connecting to a sewer costs more than half a year's wages for the average brit.
Like I say, if you do have to spend any money on your house, get someone else to get the quotes in because you'd probably accept a painter and decorator quoting £5000 to paint two rooms because the shade of pink you'd picked was nigh on impossible to find
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>You're amusing (etc)
You clearly have a lot of time on your hands.
>I can promise you that you're on a hiding to nothing with this house-ownership malarkey if you think £1000 is a significant sum, (etc)
I have almost certainly bought more properties than you and I did NOT say that £1000 was 'a significant sum' or even hint at that. Try looking up the word 'eisegesis'.
>Like I say, if you do have to spend any money on your house, get
>someone else to get the quotes in because you'd probably accept a
>(etc)
Hardly. I have found a lovely property nearby that does not require to be linked to a mains sewage system which in fact was the only significant problem with the property...
And finally, why not contribute something useful? (No doubt we will now be treated to yet more inanity to this) Yawn...
You clearly have a lot of time on your hands.
>I can promise you that you're on a hiding to nothing with this house-ownership malarkey if you think £1000 is a significant sum, (etc)
I have almost certainly bought more properties than you and I did NOT say that £1000 was 'a significant sum' or even hint at that. Try looking up the word 'eisegesis'.
>Like I say, if you do have to spend any money on your house, get
>someone else to get the quotes in because you'd probably accept a
>(etc)
Hardly. I have found a lovely property nearby that does not require to be linked to a mains sewage system which in fact was the only significant problem with the property...
And finally, why not contribute something useful? (No doubt we will now be treated to yet more inanity to this) Yawn...
I can only assume everyone posting in criticism of the OP cannot have the delights of a septic tank, and especially one that may (or has) cease(d) to function. If those who were commenting had an idea of what they were talking about it would be a start, cjard, you clearly have no idea of the complexities involved in treating sewage to modern standards! Your powers of telepathy though obviously allow you to see the work required to connect to the mains and therefore query the £15K price tag the OP has been given already! Perhaps you should reserve your talents for a different forum....
It may not just be a matter of getting the pit repaired (should it need it!), it's still not given it will continue to even function past next week! Apart from that we are still unsure if the EA are blissfully unaware of the existence of this pit, and should they find out about it and take a dislike to it's presence for whatever reason, then the OP (and the neighbours still using a pit) may have little choice but to cough up the £15K each for a mains connection!
It may not just be a matter of getting the pit repaired (should it need it!), it's still not given it will continue to even function past next week! Apart from that we are still unsure if the EA are blissfully unaware of the existence of this pit, and should they find out about it and take a dislike to it's presence for whatever reason, then the OP (and the neighbours still using a pit) may have little choice but to cough up the £15K each for a mains connection!
As stated, £15k for connection to the main sewer seems rather excessive. But yes, this arrangement won't last forever and yes it will cost some money (if not £15k) to replace. But this is at some point in the next few decades, it's not urgent. Houses cost money to maintain, a £15k requirement at some point in the next, say, twenty years isn't excessive in my view. After all it's similar to the cost of a new roof or a new kitchen, both things that any number of houses could reasonably require within a timescale of a few decades. But I appreciate that the OP might not want the hassle so fair enough.
david, hugh, Jesus was an extreterrestrial
All these years whenever I've bought property I've wondered why the solicitor took the time to check the property was connected to the public sewers...
Now I know
I reckon the OP made the right decision, "its worked fine for 80 years" doesn't apply when it's something which is inevitably going to fill up.
That's like driving your car without checking the petrol gauge and proclaiming "It's been fine for 300 miles! No worries!".
Every time I flushed the toilet I'd be waiting to see whether it went or not
Now I know
I reckon the OP made the right decision, "its worked fine for 80 years" doesn't apply when it's something which is inevitably going to fill up.
That's like driving your car without checking the petrol gauge and proclaiming "It's been fine for 300 miles! No worries!".
Every time I flushed the toilet I'd be waiting to see whether it went or not
That's like driving your car without checking the petrol gauge and proclaiming "It's been fine for 300 miles! No worries!".
Every time I flushed the toilet I'd be waiting to see whether it went or not
But it could equally be like going for a 20 mile journey in the car and proclaiming "it's been fine for 100 miles! No worries!"
All the OP knows is that there is a pit, and it is functioning. If it was on its way out within the next few years there would be signs - a boggy garden for example. It won't just suddenly erupt like a sewage geisier.
Yes, the pit is functioning, no-one is saying it isn't. The problem arises with how long it will continue for, could be days, months or years, no-one has a crystal ball and the OP isn't willing to take a gamble. Whilst it wont erupt, should we experience a wetter than average winter for example, and the pit cannot disperse the excess water into the subsoil then it doesn't take long before you are unable to flush the toilet, possibly for several days if not longer.....
For most folks pulling the chain and the contents of the pan disappearing is taken for granted, on mains drainage it's hardly thought about, for septic tank owners a little more thought is required. Septic tanks are a primitive method for treating human waste, that is why the Water Companies are investing millions in schemes to provide a more effective treatment process to communities that up until now are relying on septic tanks to deal with their sewage.
For most folks pulling the chain and the contents of the pan disappearing is taken for granted, on mains drainage it's hardly thought about, for septic tank owners a little more thought is required. Septic tanks are a primitive method for treating human waste, that is why the Water Companies are investing millions in schemes to provide a more effective treatment process to communities that up until now are relying on septic tanks to deal with their sewage.
That's my point, it won't be days and it won't be months. If it's functioning now then it will be years.
Can you guarantee that? If so please tell me how, it could be a decent money spinner. With an (ex) partner and a teenage daughter I need all the help I can get.....
Can you guarantee your roof won't fall in tomorrow? Without maintainence it surely will, it could be days, months or years, no one has a crystal ball.
But wouldn't you expect to see signs, slight at first, getting progressively worse over time, before that happened?
But wouldn't you expect to see signs, slight at first, getting progressively worse over time, before that happened?
Not necessarily. You'd be surprised how many septic tanks there are out that have been happily working away for many years in some cases. Then house is sold, older couple move out. Young family move in, washing machine, dishwasher, baths/showers twice a day. Tank is overwhelmed by the sudden increase in flow, within a few weeks if not days the first sign of trouble is effluent backing up to the house. They think get it emptied, all will be ok. All that does usually is buy some time, once tank is full again (probably within a few days!), the problem returns, as the system is now creaking under the load.....
Sometimes there's a shift in groundwater levels, especially given the extreme weather we can experience sometimes, and soakaway starts acting as a land drain, draining the subsoil back into the tank. Once again, this renders system useless....
Maintenance on a simple septic tank is limited to an annual desludge and care on what is discharged into the tank, there is little else that can be done. It need to be remembered the average family of 4 uses around 180 gallons of water a day, every drop of that is likely to find it's way into the septic tank sooner or later! For a 1000 gallon tank (most domestic tanks are smaller!), that's 5.5 days to fill it. After that you are relying on the soakaway taking every drop, if it isn't working then you soon have a problem!!! An expensive one at that!
Sometimes there's a shift in groundwater levels, especially given the extreme weather we can experience sometimes, and soakaway starts acting as a land drain, draining the subsoil back into the tank. Once again, this renders system useless....
Maintenance on a simple septic tank is limited to an annual desludge and care on what is discharged into the tank, there is little else that can be done. It need to be remembered the average family of 4 uses around 180 gallons of water a day, every drop of that is likely to find it's way into the septic tank sooner or later! For a 1000 gallon tank (most domestic tanks are smaller!), that's 5.5 days to fill it. After that you are relying on the soakaway taking every drop, if it isn't working then you soon have a problem!!! An expensive one at that!
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