Septic Tank & Sewage Solutions
- Septic Tank Problems
- Septic Tank Regulations
- Septic Tank Conversions
- Septic Tank Installations
- Sewage Treatment Plants
- Ground Percolation Testing
We work on both domestic and commercial properties to ensure that if you are faced with a drainage, septic tank or sewage related problem, we can help sort it out. As a professionally run business we pride ourselves on the comprehensive services we provide and our high levels of customer satisfaction. Our staff have all been trained to the highest standards and are able to offer quick solutions to whatever problem you have.
Beacons Drainage © All rights reserved | Cookies & Privacy Policy | Design by View Web Design
Drainage
- CCTV Surveying / Tracing
- Drainage
- Cold Water Supply Installations
Our Services
Beacons Drainage are drainage specialists covering Wales and the borders
Work undertaken for Local Authorities, Landlords and Private Customers.
ALL ASPECTS OF DRAINAGE REPAIRS UNDERTAKEN
Work undertaken for Local Authorities, Landlords and Private Customers
official installers in South Wales
Ground Percolation Testing for New Soakaway Fields
What is a Percolation Test?
“A percolation test (colloquially called a perc test) is a test to determine the water absorption rate of soil (that is, its capacity for percolation) in preparation for the building of a septic drainage field (leach field) or infiltration basin. The results of a percolation test are required to properly design a septic system. In its broadest terms, percolation tests are simply a way of observing how quickly a known volume of water dissipates into the subsoil of a drilled hole of known surface area. While every jurisdiction will have its own laws regarding the exact calculations for the length of line, depth of pit, etc., the testing procedures are the same.”
So basically, there are different soil types, and obviously a sandy fine soil is going to drain water away much faster than a dense thick blue clay will. Blue clay is common in the UK and was actually used over thousands of years as water-
So obviously, how large your soakaway will need to be, or if you can even install one at all, will depend on which type of soil you’re installing into, and a percolation test is the way to determine this.
Please note: We currently only carry out Ground Percolation Testing for New Soakaway Fields for foul water (Sewage).
Soakaway
Owners of septic tanks and sewage treatment plants who have access to a suitable area of land can consider discharging the overflow effluent into a properly designed and sized drainage field / soakaway.
There are various factors which determine whether a drainage field / soakaway is permitted and whether this disposal method would operate effectively. The location of the proposed drainage field is crucial as certain areas are designated by the Environment Agency as ‘Groundwater Source Protection Zones’. Within these areas the groundwater is extracted and used for drinking water, prohibiting the use of a drainage fields / soakaways in some areas for the disposal of waste water effluent.
The porosity of the sub-
The size of a drainage field / soakaway would be calculated from the results of the percolation test, number of bedrooms within the property and the type of effluent being discharged i.e. septic tank or treated effluent. A drainage field / soakaway receiving the treated effluent from a sewage treatment plant requires 20% less plant area than that of a septic tank.
It is crucial to the operation and lifespan of a drainage field / soakaway that the correct materials are used during construction. Non-
Drainage fields / soakaways are required to be a minimum of:
- 10M from a ditch or watercourse;
- 50M from a water abstraction point;
- 15M from any building and other soakaway network;
- 2M from any boundaries.
For further information or advise, please telephone us on 07817 322201 or contact us by email.
