Old Septic Tank...

[christianbeccy]

We have a 1950's property that is served by a Septic Tank, I'm certain it's the one that was installed when the property was built. It looks to be brick built as far as I can see, though can't be certain what's going on underground. I'm no expert, but it's condition worries me.

It was sited in an area that is now a highly mature garden border which has a number of conifers and a huge Laurel close-by, but there's a beautiful 70ft Swamp Cypress growing almost literally right on top of it. Of the 3 inspection covers, 2 are on one side of the trunk and 1 on the other, no more than 4-6-feet from the trunk! Perhaps the position is why the tree has done so well!

Anyway, I'd like to look to decommission the Septic Tank as I've had the opportunity to connect to the mains. As I understand it, the normal process would be to get it pumped out, then break the bottom up to make it no longer water-tight. I don't think we can risk caving the sides in, so what could we fill it with and might it have an impact on the tree?

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

You'll need a specialist to clean it out, and enter to break the bottom up, Septic Tanks are classed as a 'Confined Space' and need specialist training and equipment to enter, or you may not be coming back out alive.

Break up the lid/roof and drop into the tank, then fill in with soil/hardcore would be usual practice, but if the tree is relying on the tank for a (plentiful) water supply, and you remove that supply, the tree may not appreciate it. The Conifers may also have made considerable root ingress into the tank, so be prepared for some tree maintenance going forward if they too respond badly to the removal of their water supply.