A lot of people ask, what’s the difference between a cesspool and a septic tank? The straightforward answer is that cesspools don’t have an outlet pipe, like the septic tanks which connects to an soak away. Therefore the cesspool is a sealed unit, on account of this the cesspool need to be emptied more frequently. Depending on the usage it may have to be emptied anywhere from every two to twelve weeks. Unlike the septic tank there is no treatment for the sewage. The cesspool is just a large underground tank that is connected to all waste water outlet pipes from the given accommodation.

There are only two types of cesspools that are used in the uk, domestic and non domestic. The domestic cesspool are generally only used as a last option, where a sewage treatment plant or septic tank cannot be used. This is normally the case if there isn’t a soak away installed, often this happens when the residence does not have enough land, or the ground is not suitable i.e when the ground is mainly clay. The new guideline, brought out by the Environment Agency and the building regulations state that the bare minimum size for a cesspool has become 18,000 liters (4 thousand gallons), this size cesspool would only cater for a one bedroom property.

Some property often connect the rainfall downpipes to there septic tanks, however this is not recommended for cesspools as it simply fill the tanks up more quickly and then require more frequent emptying. The non domestic cesspools are used only for temporary settlements, such as camp sites, caravan parks, building constructing sites e.c.t

Every so often there can be a terrible smell that is emitted for the cesspool, the smell typically escapes through the vent or through the pipework. If you are facing this issue, please do not enter the cesspool to check out the situation. This would be tremendously unsafe as the toxic gases are very powerful and can defeat you in a short time, it has been know to kill individuals! This situation is normally caused by the micro organism in the cesspool dying, this can happen due to modern cleaning products like bleach and different powders. The best thing to do is to simply add some bacteria. The bacteria is often sold depending on the size of your house. The majority of bacteria is simply flushed down the lavatory one time each day over a 3 to 4 day period and typically last for 3 years taking into account the usage of modern cleaning products.

Another query many individuals ask is what volume cesspool do I need for my house? The principles and regulations from British Water state that the capacity is required to be based on allowing for 180 liters of waste water per person each day and that the cesspool should be able to hold that waste for 40-50 days prior to it requires an emptying. So based on those calculations a 18,000 liters cesspool would be fine for two individuals living in a one bedroom property, and for every person added you need a cesspool that increases by a minimum of 6800 litres.

Want to find out more about Septic Tanks , then visit Jason Restall’s blog spot on how to choose the best Septic Tanks for your needs.