Blocked drains/ septic tanks/wet weather

[woodworm]

If any of you are on a septic tank sewage system, please be aware that with all this wet weather, there can be big problems with draining your house waste into the tank. On Friday, our downstairs toilet blocked up, so we called out Drain Master, who finally got to us yesterday late afternoon and looked in the septic tank and said its full. We only had it pumped out in July, but he explained that with all this rain, the soakaway which runs off the tank is just saturated with rain water, so the septic tank overflow has nowhere to go, and they are getting a lot of calls from people whose tanks are filling up with rain water which is filling up the drainage system in reverse, so the house system doesn't flow. As soon as our septic tank was emptied (luckily i know the tank emtying man really well so he got here really quickly), the house system immediately emptied. We were lucky, a woman whose tank he emptied yesterday at 2pm was on the phone saying her tank was full again at 5.30pm just before he left here. He says anglian water are having MAJOR problems and he thinks he will be working all day on the 25th. He will be charging £300 per tank on that day instead of £70, but I cant knock him for that. His phone is ringing non stop.

[Andy Collins]

Thanks for sharing that WW, ill mention it to some of my family who are on septic tanks

[woodworm]

Would also recommend Drain Doctor as being brilliant if anyone does have a problem. They quoted us £138 +vat to clear any blockages, no other charges or extras, and because he didn't actually do anything except lift the septic tank lid when he got here, there was no charge, so i gave him a crimbo drink for his time, and he called me back after the tank had been emptied to make sure that everything was ok. Quality service. Hope I havent broken any rules by posting this!

[eggsarascal]

Yep lots of people having problems with there drainage systems at the moment.

I was called out to a wholesale warehouse in Sudbury yesterday that was under two inches of surface water. They have a pumping station that could not keep up with the amount of rain we have been having. I ended up having to put an over pump on the pumping station to stop the flooding. Now for the shameless plug. Anyone who as got any drainage problems in East Anglia can give me a shout and i will do my best to help you out.

[Andy Collins]

Would also recommend Drain Doctor as being brilliant if anyone does have a problem. They quoted us £138 +vat to clear any blockages, no other charges or extras, and because he didn't actually do anything except lift the septic tank lid when he got here, there was no charge, so i gave him a crimbo drink for his time, and he called me back after the tank had been emptied to make sure that everything was ok. Quality service. Hope I havent broken any rules by posting this!

 

I think, given the time of year, and the excessive levels of rainfall we're experiencing, any forum rules can be bent to accommodate.

[felixthelogchopper]

Thanks for bringing this up. I will mention it to partner's family nr Chelmsford

who are on a Klargester system.

[Justme]

One of the big problems with off grid sewerage systems is that most set ups also have the rain water drains (roofs & run off) going into the tank. They just don't have the capacity to cope with that.

[openspaceman]

One of the big problems with off grid sewerage systems is that most set ups also have the rain water drains (roofs & run off) going into the tank. They just don't have the capacity to cope with that.

 

This is true of the sewerage system in general, once surface water systems don't cope, or have been connected illegally, the treatment plants cannot cope and have to discharge raw sewage. The outfall of the this village's surface water drain to the local strain has toilet paper clinging to the grid atm.

[Andy Collins]

I was talking to the guys at the local sewage processing plant, the system is way out of date with no real upgrading going on. It was built in the 60s with a projected increase in local population wildly miscalculated. So all the other infrastructure was improved upon as development took place...except the sewage works!!! We are now 40odd years on, antiquated systems, poor water management, filled in ditches with a hitch-pitch of blocked piping, acres of hard standing and built over water/flood meadows. Of course housing is going to get flooded out.

[michaelknapp]

a customer annoyed me once i put a few bottles of bleach down septic tank