Catchpit Cleaning

[Jezzay]

Hi, please may I ask for some advice. I have a 2 year old house that has 2 catchpits for surface water. The 1sr catchpit is shallow about 2 feet and collects rain water from the 2 gutteringsand then transfers it direct via a pipe to the second catchpit that is around 6 feet deep.
The second catchpit collects water also collects water from the driveway and another piece of guttering and also from Catchpit 1.
All this water just sits in the 2nd catchpit until it reaches a certain height and then drains off in to the main sewer. All the silt stays at the bottom of the 2nd Catchpit.
I opened the 2nd catchpit today as it has been 2 years since we looked in it and it is quite full of stagment smelly surface water and the level is just under the outlet pipe, there is about 2 foot of dirty water just sat there.
I have read that periodically there is a need to clean the water and silt out of the catchpit.
Due to the depth of 6 feet, I put some string on a bucket and dropped it in and removed as much water as possible, however there is still just under a foot of water left and the silt at the bottom.
As anyone any idea how to clean this water and silt out ?
Is it by a machine or how does other people do theirs.
It is to tight to jump in and do it by hand.
Any help is greatly welcomed.
Many thanks

 

[RandomGrinch]

Hi,

Some (possibly) useful information here:

https://www.drainagepipe.co.uk/catchpit-chambers/when-to-use-a-catchpit/

Although,

is to tight to jump in and do it by hand

Never, ever jump into an enclosed space like this! The risk of oxygen depletion, dangerous gasses and toxins is high!

The usual way to clean a large catchpit is to jet wash and then vacuum out the sludge. Probably a job best left to a professional drain cleaner!

 

[Jezzay]

Hi thanks for the reply. It's 6 foot deep and very thin as its a catchpit for one residential house. I have rang the water jetting and vacuumation company that use a jet vac tanker and they said that due to its size its not really something they would do as its too small of a job and it would be upwards of £300 anyway and would take 5 minutes hence asking what other people do. I have looked online and there is pumps like the ones used in ponds to pump out excess water and silt. Just trying to ascertain what other people do to clean out their small thin catchpits ?

 

[RandomGrinch]

Ahhh!
That small - definitely don't jump in then. You'll never get out!

I'm just wondering if you could leave a bucket in there (once it's clean).
Then if it needs emptying, pump out the water and hook the bucket full of silt out?

There are also tools such as gulley bowls, grabs and scoops that may be able help.

 

[Jezzay]

Thankyou so much, brilliant idea, I will take a look at the tools. Thanks again

 

[Alec_t]

You could bale out most of it by using an old cooking pan, or similar, fastened to a broom handle. I clean out a water-butt that way.

 

[Jezzay]

Thankyou