On Tue, 4 Dec 2007 13:48:46 -0800 (PST), wrote:

do you include the grey water to keep the working volumes up, or do you
restrict it to blackwater and rainwater?

Rainwater is a no, no. The volumes of even a small shower on a decent
sized roof will flush a septic tank through far to quickly...

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

"Dave Liquorice" wrote:

On Tue, 4 Dec 2007 13:48:46 -0800 (PST), wrote:

do you include the grey water to keep the working volumes up, or do you
restrict it to blackwater and rainwater?

Rainwater is a no, no. The volumes of even a small shower on a decent
sized roof will flush a septic tank through far to quickly...

What is the ill effect of that?

In article ,
says...
"Dave Liquorice" wrote:

On Tue, 4 Dec 2007 13:48:46 -0800 (PST), wrote:

do you include the grey water to keep the working volumes up, or do you
restrict it to blackwater and rainwater?

Rainwater is a no, no. The volumes of even a small shower on a decent
sized roof will flush a septic tank through far to quickly...

What is the ill effect of that?

I am no expert but the bacteria has to have some time to digest the
sewerage componant before the discharging water will be safe to soak away
into the surrounding land. It is not normally to put rain water through a
septic tank, this normally goes to seperate soak aways, often several one
for each down pipe.
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
T...


Rainwater is a no, no. The volumes of even a small shower on a decent
sized roof will flush a septic tank through far to quickly...

What is the ill effect of that?

I am no expert but the bacteria has to have some time to digest the
sewerage componant before the discharging water will be safe to soak away
into the surrounding land. It is not normally to put rain water through a
septic tank, this normally goes to seperate soak aways, often several one
for each down pipe.

I'd have thought that there will be similar bacteria in the ground to deal
with the anaerobic treatment of sewerage components. We often used to make a
'long drop' when camping, it caused no problems.

Mary

In article ,
says...

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
T...


Rainwater is a no, no. The volumes of even a small shower on a decent
sized roof will flush a septic tank through far to quickly...

What is the ill effect of that?

I am no expert but the bacteria has to have some time to digest the
sewerage componant before the discharging water will be safe to soak away
into the surrounding land. It is not normally to put rain water through a
septic tank, this normally goes to seperate soak aways, often several one
for each down pipe.

I'd have thought that there will be similar bacteria in the ground to deal
with the anaerobic treatment of sewerage components. We often used to make a
'long drop' when camping, it caused no problems.

Mary



They can and do, but regulations deem the outflow should be safe.
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
T...
In article ,
says...

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
T...


Rainwater is a no, no. The volumes of even a small shower on a
decent
sized roof will flush a septic tank through far to quickly...

What is the ill effect of that?

I am no expert but the bacteria has to have some time to digest the
sewerage componant before the discharging water will be safe to soak
away
into the surrounding land. It is not normally to put rain water through
a
septic tank, this normally goes to seperate soak aways, often several
one
for each down pipe.

I'd have thought that there will be similar bacteria in the ground to
deal
with the anaerobic treatment of sewerage components. We often used to
make a
'long drop' when camping, it caused no problems.

Mary



They can and do, but regulations deem the outflow should be safe.

I'm sure that's right but it really does amuse me about The Authorities'
ideas of 'safe'. You'd think that the Earth was sterile, that all animals
from the smallest to the largest didn't deposit their excretions everywhere
:-)

And when it comes to burying animals and people in other than 'authorised'
places ... well ... !

Mary

On Wed, 5 Dec 2007 00:19:40 GMT, brian mitchell wrote:

Rainwater is a no, no. The volumes of even a small shower on a decent
sized roof will flush a septic tank through far to quickly...

What is the ill effect of that?

Well apart from the fact the muck doesn't stay in the tank long enough to
acted on by the bacteria effectievly the sludge gets washed into the
soakaway blocking it up...

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

"Dave Liquorice" wrote:

On Wed, 5 Dec 2007 00:19:40 GMT, brian mitchell wrote:

Rainwater is a no, no. The volumes of even a small shower on a decent
sized roof will flush a septic tank through far to quickly...

What is the ill effect of that?

Well apart from the fact the muck doesn't stay in the tank long enough to
acted on by the bacteria effectievly the sludge gets washed into the
soakaway blocking it up...

Thanks, also to Charlie Pridham.
My system (also on a Welsh 'mountain') had nearly all the roof runoff
plus grey- and blackwater running through it when I arrived. I'm
gradually diverting the rainwater but expect to leave the greywater as
is, though there's no biological soaps or other heavy-duty cleansers
used.

I have to say, though, that the system --which is easy to inspect--
seems to look and function exactly the same as it always has, without
needing emptying and with a clear soakaway chamber. Perhaps being on
extremely well-draining land makes the difference.

In article ,
says...
"Dave Liquorice" wrote:

On Wed, 5 Dec 2007 00:19:40 GMT, brian mitchell wrote:

Rainwater is a no, no. The volumes of even a small shower on a decent
sized roof will flush a septic tank through far to quickly...

What is the ill effect of that?

Well apart from the fact the muck doesn't stay in the tank long enough to
acted on by the bacteria effectievly the sludge gets washed into the
soakaway blocking it up...

Thanks, also to Charlie Pridham.
My system (also on a Welsh 'mountain') had nearly all the roof runoff
plus grey- and blackwater running through it when I arrived. I'm
gradually diverting the rainwater but expect to leave the greywater as
is, though there's no biological soaps or other heavy-duty cleansers
used.

I have to say, though, that the system --which is easy to inspect--
seems to look and function exactly the same as it always has, without
needing emptying and with a clear soakaway chamber. Perhaps being on
extremely well-draining land makes the difference.

One last point, during the summer of 76 (which was dry for those too
young to know) we like a lot of people saved water by reducing usage, and
diverted all our grey water for garden use - result - one septic tank
that stopped working! they apparently need some throughput to be happy,
so I would leave the grey water going through, but rain water could
overwelm the system.
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea