Also, would I be right in thinking that detergents can have a negative
effect on a septic tank?

So, water from gutters, washing machine, bath/shower/sink should *not*
be run into it.

Instead gutters should run into a ditch;

They should run into a soakaway not a watercourse

the washing machine,
bath/shower/sink should run into a soakpit.

They should run into the septic tank.


Is this correct?

All effluent runs into the septic tank. The only soakaways are for the
rainwater downpipes. Well not strictly true of course as the septic tank
has its own soakaway. In the yellow pages you should find companies who
will empty it, as said, for about £100, though mine has not been emptied
in the five years it has been installed. Some of my neighbours use a
farmer, who I suspect pumps it onto his fields, they save themselves about
£20,

A risk getting a criminal record. It is a serious offence to do so.

A poor bargain I think, a proper disposer
gives you a disposal certificate. You can get special liquid, quite
expensive, to aid break down of effluent, but the important thing is to
not use bleach or biological washing powders. Also as has been said, if
there is a problem there is a smell.

If it has reached that stage then it is almost certainly causing the output
from the tank to be well above what is an acceptable, or legal, level.

My neighbours has an old concrete
tank, and that is failing, further more the discharge is coming onto my
land. They are not prepared to do anything about it, and no officials are
interested, if I wish to stop it I will have to go through the courts, not
an expense I wish to undertake.

The Environment Agency will almost certainly force your neighbour to take
action. Have you asked them to inspect it?

Peter Crosland