Now that we are ‘country folk’, we are also the ‘proud’ owners of our very own septic tank, which basically means we are not on mains drainage. Having never had a septic tank before it has been somewhat of an eye-opener and we have had to do a lot of googling to ensure that we are not abusing it, because I can’t begin to imagine the havoc that a ‘failed’ tank could wreak!
We had it emptied recently because it was starting to smell! ‘Peter Poo’ came along with his poo truck and pumped it out, and it has been a little better since, although when the wind’s in the wrong direction it’s not a very pleasant aroma!! Oh the joys of country living 
For those of you new to septic tanks, here’s some info which explains quite well how they work:
Untreated waste water from a property flows into the septic tank, where the solids separate from the liquids. Some solids, such as soap scum or fat, will float to the top of the tank to form a scum layer. Heavier solids, such as human and kitchen wastes, settle to the bottom of the tank as sludge. Self forming bacteria in the tank help the system “digest” these solids or sludge. The remaining liquids flow out of the tank to a land drainage system or drainfield.
Since septic tanks work on the basis of having natural bacteria to ‘digest’ the waste, it is very important not to upset the balance by using lots of harsh chemicals in the home. So, I have been hunting for more eco-friendly alternatives and have changed our dishwasher tablets, loo cleaner, washing-up liquid and anti-bacterial spray to more friendly products. We already use washing liquid which is better than tablets or powder, and it goes without saying that no sanitary products or toilet wipes are allowed to be flushed. The other thing that we found surprising was coffee grounds – these can clog up the filters – so we have now started to save ours and put them on the compost instead. Also animal fat must not go in, but this is the case with mains drainage anyway as it solidifies and blocks pipes, and we have always collected ours and mixed it with bird seed once it solidifies – the birds love it We were told by one of the locals that a dead rabbit chucked in every now again does wonders for the bacteria, but un-surprisingly I’m not that keen on that idea ….
And so endeth the septic tank lesson!!
Tags: Eco Lifestyle, Environmentally Friendly, Septic Tank
Categories: Living the Country Life
a good bird seed is of course Sunflower seeds, birds like them coz they are tasty;.:
Not sure about this dead rabbit suggestion, but you should definitely have your septic tank emptied annually in order that the scum does not build up in the tank and cause blockages, when it overflows it’s a little late.
The other problems that you may experience with septic tanks are that the soakaway may get blocked and stop working. This usually occurs due to where it is located, the water table and how much rain we have had. A company that deal with septic tank emptying in Cornwall and Devon is Clear Flow. If you look under the Yellow Pages then there are plenty of service providers in your area, I recommend not ignoring this type of maintenance as repairs and unblockages can be expensive.