Frequently asked questions
Wastewater treatment
(click on question to show answer)
I have a three bedroom house, what size plant do I need?
Council Building Control Departments normally require a plant large enough to cope with each bed space, which would be 5/6 people in this case. If in doubt contact the Building Control Department or Balmoral Site Services.
How big is the plant?
All dimensions are given on this website.
Can I use normal detergents and cleaners and will they affect my plant's performance?
Yes, but in limited doses. However there are cleaning products/washing powders/dishwasher tablets, etc, that are septic/treatment plant friendly and they are widely available in supermarkets.
Does the plant make a noise?
No. The compressor contained within certain tanks is virtually silent.
My septic tank/treatment plant smells. Why is this happening?
This could be occurring for any of the following reasons:
• Your tank is incorrectly vented. The tank should be vented on the outlet end of the tank.
• Your washing machine may be used every day and as such the septic/treatment plant is being inundated with detergents.
• Your tank may be incorrectly installed. Check with your installer.
How do I obtain my “Consent to Discharge”?
Contact your local environment agency.
Does Balmoral undertake site surveys with advice without obligation?
Yes
Does Balmoral undertake installations?
Balmoral does not install sewage treatment plants.
Will Balmoral undertake the commissioning of the tank?
Yes
Does Balmoral provide maintenance contracts?
Yes
What guarantees will I get?
Provided Balmoral commissions the plant and a maintenance contract is taken, five years on body, one year on fittings.
What is the difference between an SBR and a CAP?
SBR has a “buffer” storage volume in the primary settlement tank and treats the effluent in batches thereby levelling out peak surges into the system. The SBR serves 6-120 populations. The CAP operates by gravity displacement only and aerates continuously. Currently the CAP is only available in six and 12 person sizes.
How do the systems work?
Raw effluent is separated, the remaining liquid has air/oxygen passed through it by a bubble diffuser, this cultivates the natural bacteria already present in the sewage which breaks down the organic matter leaving an approved quality of effluent for discharge.
What is the quality of effluent from these plants?
The SBR provides effluent quality of 15mg/litre suspended solids and 10mg/litre BOD. The CAP provides effluent quality of 30mg/litre suspended solids and 20mg/litre BOD meeting Royal Commission Standards. (BOD: Biological Oxygen Demand)
Will paper towels, sanitary towels, etc, clog up my system?
Sanitary towels should not be flushed into sewage treatment plant. Due to the intrinsic design qualities of these products they take a very long time to degrade and can cause blockages of transfer pipes within the plant. Ideally, paper hand towels, for instance, should not be flushed either but disposed of in other ways.
What distance from the property does the plant need to be?
15m is ideal, if you do not have the space, as far as is practicably possible but Building Regulations state a minimum of seven metres. Your local Building Control Officer should always be consulted regarding the location of the treatment plant.
My garden is lower than the watercourse I wish to discharge too. Do the plants pump uphill?
Yes. We can fit submersible pumps with float switches at time of manufacture to enable this.
What is the difference between a silage tank, a septic tank and a treatment plant?
A silage tank or cesspit collects raw effluent and has to be emptied when full. A septic tank separates the solids from the liquids; the liquid remaining is released on to the land via network of perforated pipes called a soakaway. A treatment plant works like a septic tank but then treats the separated liquid so it may be discharged (with EA approval) to a watercourse, wet ditch, pond with an overflow or a soakaway.
Will I need a Septic Tank or a Sewage Treatment Plant?
This will depend of several factors, such as:
a) Soil Conditions for effluent distribution
b) Population to be served
c) Council and E/A policy for the area
d) Number of Septic Tanks already in the area
The most economical solution is to use a Septic Tank, but Septic Tank effluent normally has to discharge into an underground soakaway/distribution system. A "percolation test" has to be carried out on the soil (see Balmoral data sheet 'Disposal of Effluent to Underground Strata'), to find out if it is suitable for Septic Tank effluent and how long the soakaway system should be.
If the soil fails the test then other systems such as the CAP or SBR sewage treatment plants have to be considered as the effluent from these can discharge directly into a watercourse. *
* Subject to approval from the Environmental Agency.
What can I do if my site fails the ‘percolation test’ and I do not have a watercourse to discharge into?
There is provision in the Building Regulations to construct an artificial ‘soakaway mound’, although this will need to be properly designed by a competent engineer or specialist drainage consultant.
Does the soakaway have to be in one long length or can it be adapted to fit my garden?
The system of pipework can be any pattern so long as the gradient does not exceed 1 in 200. A ‘herringbone’ pattern in conventionally used as it makes efficient use of space.
What type of pipe should be used for the soakaway/percolation drains?
110mm diameter rigid uPVC or clay soil drain with slots or holes in the bottom half.
Corrugated plastic irrigation drain must not be used as the holes are too small, the corrugations get blocked up and it cannot be laid easily to an even gradient.
Will the soakaway drainage system become blocked up after several years of use?
If the soakaway system is laid properly according to the percolation test and BS 6297, it will last for many years but excess bacteria and organic matter may eventually build up in the area around the drain. It is therefore important to recognise that a soakaway system may not last forever.
Can Balmoral Tanks carry out the percolation test and provide a quotation for the full installation of the Septic Tank or Sewage Treatment Plant?
Balmoral can arrange for a local ‘authorised installer’ to carry out the percolation test and give a quotation for the complete installation.
Can you explain to me the differences in definition between, nominal, actual, working and effective storage capacities?
Nominal is brimful, i.e. from the very bottom of the tank to the very top before the installation of any float valves / overflows / warning pipes / outlets etc. Actual & Working are one of the same, i.e. the useable storage to it's maximum working level after the installation of the above. Effective is terminology use in the application of Sprinkler / Pump Suction Tanks for the Fire Protection Industry. This is the allowed useable water within a tank, as defined in various tables / charts in BS 5306 & LPCB Rules & Regs
How much electricity does the plant consume?
About the same as a 100 watt light bulb for the six and 12 population treatment plants.
Where do I purchase a sewage treatment plant?
Contact Balmoral Tanks who will advise you of your local stockist.
