Shared Septic Tank - Educate me please

[Condi]

Renovation said:

If there is no agreement what's to stop you cutting / blocking the pipe at your boundary ?

Covenants, probably.

Wouldnt let it put you off though, place near me has 6 into 1 tank and no problems. Everyone pays for the emptying, everyone pays for the servicing, everyone knows when they buy the house down the row that is the arrangement.

[andrewt1982]

skeggysteve said:

DoubleByte said:

We share a Klargester with next door, it's on our land and we share costs. No problems really. Empty it every 9 months or so.

Slightly O/T but it may be of help to the op.

If you need to have your Klargester emptied ever 9 month I'd suggest something is wrong.

We had one installed and were told the 'rules', abided by them and in the 3 years before we move it didn't need emptying.

We were told that when they came to service it they would advise if it needed emptying and every year they said no it's working fine.

To be fair we weren't sharing it so had control over it, if you see what I mean!

9 to 12 months is typical for the primary zone of a Klargester (or similar) to require desludging - the system sizes are or "should be" designed around the typical usage for size of property they are being fed by. The primary zone and final zone should have all sludges removed to ensure the discharge remains of a "standard". If you were advised it was not required it could be the plant was sized for more load than you were applying.

We deal with quite a few shared treatment systems/septic tanks/cess pools and it is 50/50 on how successful it is - the ones that work generally have a management company and we have one point of contact and they make all arrangements, collect monies before works are carried out etc On the flip side we deal with neighbours who don't speak, argue every decision made by other neighbours, won't grant access for emptying and will refuse to pay for repairs etc.

Regarding the OP I see you've walked away... Probably for the best as previous posters have said it could be a nightmare!

[DoubleByte]

I'm no expert but I don't think our system is vry big. We left it 18 months once and it was quite full to say the least!!
Only costs 120 a time to empty it, 'cash on removal'. He used to let you pay later but got fed up with late payers and some people had their tanks refilled !! Hahahahaha


'You dump we pump' I think it says on his tanker.

[Mr Whippy]

I was four years old when we had our new one put in at the family farm, but in the 31 years since it's been emptied about three times, maybe four.

I'm not sure if it was huge or anything, but I'm assuming some septic tanks can be pretty small to need emptying so often?

As for maintenance/service, is there really any needed unless something specifically goes wrong that you can foresee?

All I remember it being was a giant sphere with another sphere thingy at the bottom, and a manhole cover, so not really much to 'service'?


Hmmmmm