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Solving a septic system failure problem: septic system replacement and septic tank conversion

Solving a septic system failure problem: septic system replacement and septic tank conversion

Posted on 30 Mar 2015 by Fabian Belin

Solving a septic system failure problem

Most of the septic system problems such as “blockages” or water backing come from soakaway malfunctioning and not from the septic systems themselves. Forget then about adding bacteria to a septic system after a soakaway failure has occurred as the porosity has often been reduced so badly that there is no flow to allow the bacteria to get to where it needs to. Forget also the “high-pressure water jetting” of the soakaway drains; this option will force more solids into the soil's air spaces, resulting in even poorer porosity.

The better option in case of septic system failure may be to replace the entire septic system and install a sewage treatment unit that can discharge to water surface areas such as a ditch, a stream, land drain pond, etc. Indeed, unlike septic tank effluent, the treated water from a sewage treatment plant can be discharged to a watercourse.

Another option: If your septic tank is “usable”, successfully passes “porosity tests” and gets the relevant permits and approvals then you can fit a sewage water treatment unit after the septic tank. BIOROCK offers what we call “retrofit” options.  Requirements are that the septic tank is sound and is sufficiently sized to allow for both adequate settlement and the BIOROCK treatment unit fitting.

As the septic tank has a greater capacity than an all-in-one sewage treatment unit the emptying intervals of the former septic tank can be 24 to 36 months or even more, leading to huge costs savings.

For most septic tanks this option will lead for the septic tanks to have their internal septic tank divisions removed prior to fitting as they were initially not designed to become a primary tank for sewage treatment unit. The retrofit option does remove the need for large groundworks: a small pit is dug after the existing septic tank and a BIOROCK sewage treatment unit is installed in this pit downstream the primary tank.

The “BIOROCK septic tank conversion” option is a BIOROCK sewage treatment plant installed as a retrofit and connected to the septic tank outlet pipe. Converting your failing septic tank system into a full sewage treatment unit becomes easy and cheap with this BIOROCK option:  By using the septic tank that you already have as part of the system you can save as much as 60% of the total sewage treatment plant purchase and installation costs while delivering the same final effluent standard as a complete packaged sewage treatment unit and limiting the damage to gardens.

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