Huge wrote:

Broadback writes:

RobertTT wrote:


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

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 poor bargain I think, a proper disposer
gives you a disposal certificate.


I've never had any kind of paperwork from my septic tank emptier.


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.


There's no reason not to use bio washing powder.

Nor bleach either. Provided you have a resonable amount of acid to
neutralise it.