Let’s take a look at what off-mains drainage means and how it might affect those living in or about to buy properties with these systems around the Leicester area.
What does off-mains drainage mean?
Properties that do not have drainage connected to mains sewers usually have cesspits or septic tanks for their waste. With the vast majority of properties in the UK having mains drainage, what does it mean for those rural ones that don’t?
Types of off-mains drainage
Like properties connected to sewers, off-mains drainage also happens beneath the ground.
Cesspits are big tanks made of fibreglass, concrete or plastic, used simply to store wastewater. As they do not process the waste, they need to be emptied regularly by a professional waste disposal company.
Septic systems, meanwhile, are cylindrical tanks that process wastewater by allowing filtered waste to safely merge with groundwater. Solid waste is retained in a separate chamber. Septic tanks don’t fill up quite as quickly, due to releasing water into the ground, so they can be emptied far less often than cesspits.
Lastly, sewage treatment plants are advanced systems that present themselves as tanks but feature electric compressed air pumps to filter water. Similar to septic tanks, these are made up of different chambers which divide up the waste according to weight and density.
No one system is better than any other, as it all depends on the property itself and what works best on the land.
How to maintain off-mains drainage?
Off-mains drainage systems should be regularly maintained to ensure they are compliant with environmental laws. We therefore suggest a CCTV drain survey Leicester if your property currently has an off-mains system, or you are planning on buying a rural property with no connection to mains sewage.
Local CCTV survey specialists like www.wilkinson-env.co.uk/drainage-services-cctv-surveys-midlands/cctv-drain-surveys/leicester can assist with camera surveys to help you understand what is going on underneath your home and ensure that your system is kept in top-notch condition.
Following a successful CCTV drainage survey, you should aim to book your next survey in about a year’s time.
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