Cess Pit Adventures

[brightspark]

he once blew the clevo flour factory down at thornaby err i meant try to. there was twice as much reinforcement bar in it than they thought and it just leaned over second go and it went https://picturestocktonarchive.com/2014/07/31/demolition-of-cleveland-flour-mill-c1970/

 

[OJCar]

he once blew the clevo flour factory down at thornaby err i meant try to. there was twice as much reinforcement bar in it than they thought and it just leaned over second go and it went https://picturestocktonarchive.com/2014/07/31/demolition-of-cleveland-flour-mill-c1970/

I'll bet Blaster Bates language was "colourful" when the Mill failed to fall at the first attempt!

 

[Morris]

When my mum died I found several Blaster Bates albums in among her stuff.
I remember crying with laughter at them as a teenager.

 

[bump]

I always remember this unfortunate effluence event https://www.nme.com/news/music/nme-2416-1388908

 

[Bornfree]

Well my cess pool/septic tank, pit 'o **** filled up quicker this time. Plenty of ladies time of the month products down there despite me telling the female members of the household and visitors not to!

So it's pumping time again. Rang the same nice folk I used last time to find that the guy who last came in 2019 succumbed to cancer just before Christmas. Seems his treatment was delayed during lockdown and it spread! Anyway they (his wife),are coming back to me on Monday with a date.

He was amazed back then, that in 20 years, up until then it had never been emptied.

There's a series of man holes down the garden connected by clay drains. Basically this:

View attachment 367506

I hacked a path where the drain line is next to those rubble bags.

View attachment 367505

The rusty manhole cover is an inspection pit. That has a couple of holes in that must allow heavy rain in:

View attachment 367504

This is the cover over the pit. Lift that and you're straight into the brown stuff. Built in the 50's, the pit is about 8' diameter and brick built. I'd estimated about 4250L by volume. The top is bricks gradually built into a dome and rendered. A few holes in that too. The ladder is a safety precaution!

View attachment 367503

Hacking through the brambles again got me thinking once again about a treatment plant so I got the long tape out and did a rough sketch.

Any thoughts welcome as to position, make of treatment plant etc as I've not got a clue as to a starting point. The centre of the cess pool is 1500mm off the lhs boundary. The boundary came long after the cess pool was built when some of the land was sold off.

I know a few folk have the Vortex unit that they're happy with. Most say avoid ones that have mechanical workings submerged in the poo soup as maintenance is horrible.

Rough sketch:

I have a similar system to you. I used to empty it once every two years but in 2020 after emptying it was full the next day. The ground water level was so high it was filling in 12 hours. So I put a submersible pump in and had to pump it out every day for nearly 3 months, my lawn looked lovely and green.

 

[brightspark]

I have a similar system to you. I used to empty it once every two years but in 2020 after emptying it was full the next day. The ground water level was so high it was filling in 12 hours. So I put a submersible pump in and had to pump it out every day for nearly 3 months, my lawn looked lovely and green.

they all fill to the top with water anyhows. if its a day or months its only when the crap hasnt fully digested and broke down they need emptying . some can go for 20 years if u dont fill em with surface water and just foul and hard;y any disinfectant is used

 

[gaz1]

its best to have 2 systems in the cesspit/sewage treatment or even the biogas system for toilet collection whilst the rain water off the roof can be collected for use with toilet and using for watering.

ground water is fed into another collection system and then into a piped system spreading it across the land into land drains

both can be connected together for water spreading but in heavy downpours the water can back up into the sewage system

 

[Onoff]

Pumpy out people coming tomorrow. SWMBO hacked a path today. About 100' from the gate.

Laid some boards across the new water main trench I still need to fill in.

Some boards and a ladder across the pit lid:

Pretty sure those holes in the lid can't help but let heavy rain in.

I reckon I should expose all the lid, then shutter it up, chuck a sheet of A142 mesh in and concrete a new slab. The danger of collapsing what's there though?

I'd look too to fit a lockable, circular hatch.

 

[Onoff]

Is there like a culture you can purchase to give them a boost on the breaking things down front?

 

[Kram]

Would stepping in that hole in the last pic be a very bad idea?

 

[Bornfree]

Is there like a culture you can purchase to give them a boost on the breaking things down front?

Dead rabbit.

 

[Onoff]

Would stepping in that hole in the last pic be a very bad idea?

Feel free mate!

https://flic.kr/p/2hSRYCR

Yes btw, I poked drain rods into it and hadn't hit anything solid at about 9' deep.

 

[Onoff]

Dead rabbit.

Badger or fox more common found here. The puma sightings are on the up. Mainly by the pub regulars about the same time they see the headless horseman!

 

[Kram]

Feel free mate!

https://flic.kr/p/2hSRYCR

Yes btw, I poked drain rods into it and hadn't hit anything solid at about 9' deep.

Thankfully I didnt see any turds in that clip so its not near the top. I'd say you could get another year or two before emptying!?

 

[brightspark]

Is there like a culture you can purchase to give them a boost on the breaking things down front?

yep starts the bacteria or farmers used to shot a dead sheep in that gets it digesting

 

[Kram]

Is there like a culture you can purchase to give them a boost on the breaking things down front?

I'd have thoght turds would be enough. Try drinking some Polish Kefir.

Be warned it is strong stuff. Do not drink too much!

 

[gaz1]

since its old id be looking at a little excavation around the lip and dome of the structure

then it gives you a good idea on its condition remember its brick built weve had a few things that could have damaged it so be careful

personally id attach a rope around my waist long enough as its down to the issue if it fails its a way out as once your in your not getting out if you havent got anything to hand

might sound silly but ive known these collapse without any notice sometimes your lucky sometimes your not and many have died by falling in them

oh and the new way if done right means less clean out of the system

the only thing you might clean out is nappys and sanitary towels and other plastic things the one main issue is those sodding baby wipes they can cause more hassle than anything as the things dont break down

 

[gaz1]

I'd have thoght turds would be enough. Try drinking some Polish Kefffir.

Be warned it is strong stuff. Do not drink too much!

dont even look it up

 

[Onoff]

I've a horizontal ratchet type safety line I can likely rig between two trees whilst I'm working around it .

 

[Onoff]

Thankfully I didnt see any turds in that clip so its not near the top. I'd say you could get another year or two before emptying!?

That was the clip taken a few years back. That time the clay pipe run was blocked. A kiddie's pink toothbrush had become wedged and stuff got wrapped around it. Now the solids layer is above the inlet pipe.

Fingers crossed for tomorrow. £150 for 3000L removed I think it is. Was £120 in 2019.