Broadback wrote:
I am rather confused by this post. What is a "herringbone". My parents
had and old fashioned septic tank installed when the property was built
in 1939. During the war there was no opportunity to empty it, in fact
is was first emptied around 1950 and caused no problems. I had my
concrete septic tank replaced by a modern one on purchasing this
property in 1900, I have had the tank emptied once in that time.

You purchased it . . . when?

Admittedly I am careful that no bleach or biological washing powders are
used, but it is fine, as I would expect. What does annoy me is that one
of my neighbour's cuts costs by having a local farmer empty theirs
instead of a property specialist, this saves then the fantastic sum of
£40. The farmer sprays his on his fields where as The specialist gives
you a certificate that his effluent is safely disposed in a sewage farm.

Sounds like a good idea, getting the local farmer to suck it out and
spray it round, but surely that is illegal. They used to do this on a
grand scale in places like India and it accounted for quite a few
diseases, i.e. human poo on lettuces etc!!!!

Eddy.