Do you know what a septic tank is?

A septic tank is a two or three chamber system which retains sewage from a property for a sufficient time to allow the solids to form into a sludge at the base of the tank, where it is broken down.  The remaining liquid in the tank then drains by means of an outlet pipe.  Effluent from a septic tank is normally disposed of by soakage into the ground, provided that the waste does not generate a pollution risk to surface waters or ground water resources.  The most commonly used form of soakaway is a subsurface irrigation area comprising a herringbone patter of land drains, laid in shallow, shingle filled trenches.  The soakaway drains should be located at as shallow a depth as possible, usually within 1 metre of the ground surface.

Servicing

A septic tank should be desludged and serviced on a regular basis to ensure the effective operation of the system.  Desludging should normally take place every 12 months and should be carried out by an operator registered for the carriage of such waste by the Environment Agency (Carriers Licence).  A check on the nature of the effluent draining from the tank can indicate whether it needs emptying.  Normally, the effluent will be light grey in colour.  However, as the sludge content of the tank increases, the effluent will contain dark solids and form a crust on top, this is an indication that the tank is due for an empty.

Do you know what a Cesspit is?

A Cesspit works the same as a septic tank, apart from the fact that there is only one chamber.  Everything flows into the one chamber, settles, then gradually flows out the soakaway to permeate into the ground.  These tanks should be emptied once a year to avoid the soakaway clogging up with silt.

Do you know what a Cesspool is?

This is a single watertight sealed tank put in the ground which holds everything.  It has no outlet and relies on road tankers for emptying and usually has to be emptied every few weeks.

 

RMS Waste Disposal provide an emptying service for all of the above as a one off service or a regular service.

We are registered carriers of waste and our licence is HAM 410596 GB.