Garden drainage problems

Many people aren’t aware of or interested in the type of drainage system serving their property until something goes wrong. Within this article, we are aiming to help you with identifying your garden drainage problems by analysing your drainage systems. If you live in a rural area your property may have its own drainage system, rather than being connected to the main sewer.  This system may serve just your property, or you may share it with one or more of your neighbours.

Septic tanks, cesspits and sewage treatment plants – If you live in a house that’s not near the main sewer, your property will be connected to one of these types of drainage systems.

If you would like advice on resolving your garden drainage problems please contact us, we cover Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire.

Which drainage system does my property have?

These are the three main types of off-main drainage systems in use across the UK. Two of these are common – septic tanks and sewage treatment plants. One increasingly less common – cesspits. 

Septic tanks are often found in rural areas and their problems can be costly and complicated to fix.  Many people believe that their drainage system is a septic tank when in actual fact it may be a cesspit or sewage treatment plant. Croft Drainage Solutions have the experience to identify and understand the type of drainage system serving your property, the problems affecting it and, in turn, what work needs to take place to correct the problems. Often the cost to fix a septic tank or sewage treatment plant problem is covered by the property owners existing insurance policies.

Septic tanks

Septic tanks are still the most common type of off-mains drainage system. They have been widely installed for many years. It is a simple system – a pipe runs from your property to the septic tank. Here the waste separates into solids and liquids. A baffle retains the solids and allows the partially treated effluent to move into the drainage field. Here further treatment takes place and the effluent disperses into the ground.

Sewage treatment plants

A sewage treatment plant provides a greater level of treatment to your property’s waste than a septic tank.  In most cases, the effluent produced goes directly to groundwater or a watercourse. An electrical power supply powers internal components pump air into the system and sometimes pumps the discharge out of the treatment plant.

There will typically be a box mounted externally near the treatment plant, this will emit a constant low-level humming noise – this is normal. The more modern installations contain a visible and audible alarm on the treatment plant. Indicating the plant requires attention.

Cesspits

No longer installed in Scotland they are the usually the ‘last resort’ in the rest of the UK. The reason for this is that a cesspit is just a holding tank for all the waste that leaves your property. No treatment takes place so if a leak occurs it can cause significant pollution. They need to be large enough to hold all the waste produced by the house and need emptying frequently. Thus they are costly to install and maintain.