Septic Bed

Is anyone on here have a septic bed as opposed to a sewer system?

Re: Septic Bed

AS I understand it I think you are talking about a septic TANK. They are usually found in remote villages which aren't connected to main sewers.

Re: Septic Bed

We have one at our summer home because it's in a very remote area, we normally refer to it as a septic tank because that is the first thing the sewage goes into, but you are right in a way because the output of the tank then goes through a 'bed' of stones and some other stuff to partially clean it then finally into the soil.

Re: Septic Bed

Yes, both are right. We had to have ours dug out last summer completely & it was moved to another part of our property. It set us back $6,000. which we didn't have. It's horrible to have to spend that much money on something that you don't notice (until you need it). Just wondering if anyone had problems with their septic bed. Our tank was fine but the bed wasn't properly done by the people before us. Not only that they did daycare & had one of these huge, heavy playground areas right on top of where the weeping tile bed was!

Re: Septic Bed

Septic Tanks or pumpouts are relatively common in Australia but obviously being replaced as sewers system expand from the towns and cities.

Years ago the suburb I lived in was connected to the sewer and the septic tank had to be destroyed from memory by knocking a hole in it before filling it with rubble.

Older places like mine also have a dunny lane running down the back which predate even the septic tanks when there was an outside toilet (the dunny) and a weekly truck used come along and change the 'can' for an empty one. The old dunny is still shown on the council plans for my house.

Re: Septic Bed

LOL, I was imagining a very dirty bed that infected those who sleep in it!!

(And yes, I have a septic tank and soak away and the blooming Irish government are taxing that, too...a rural tax if ever there was one...)

Re: Septic Bed

We don't have a mains sewage system in my village. I have a septic tank which is pumped out every few months. As many of my neighbours have no bathrooms and only outside toilets, (basically just a shed with a wooden seat over a deep hole dug out of the soil) they just have soak aways to take the "grey" water.

Re: Septic Bed

BTW the Aussie slang for an American is 'septic' (rhyming slang - Septic Tank = Yank)

true

Re: Septic Bed

Me too I hardly dared look in case the bed was filled with dirty bandages ..

AC a lot of people who live in the countryside here have septic tanks because there is no main drainage off the beaten track.

I have lived in a house which had one and that one requiring emptying regularly. They can also be rather smelly...

Re: Septic Bed

ZsaZsa just wanted to mention that in the motorhome I have a toilet and I am constantly being told that the contents of that are to be called 'black' water. The people in the motorhome world refer to 'grey' water as that which comes from the shower and the sink and is safe to put on the garden whereas 'black' water should only go into a septic tank or into a mains sewer system.

Well that's the theory, but of course not every one abides by it and the 'rules' are changing (and getting tougher) all the time. In England people don't even like your dog 'poohing' on the grass verges at the side of the road