SEPTIC TANKS

DEFINITION AND TYPES

 SEPTIC TANK

CONTENTS
1. ……………………………………..DEFINITION AND LOCATION
2. ..…………………………...............................DESIGN CRITERIA
3. ……………………………………………………SIPHON TANK
4. ………………………………………………………..WORKING
5. …………......DISTRIBUTION BOXES AND LEECHING CESSPOOLS
6. ………………………………………SUB-SOIL DISPOSAL BEDS
7. …………………………………………………...SAND FILTERS
8. ………………………………………………………SOAK PITS
9. ………………………………………….DISPERSION TRENCHES
10. …………………………IRRIGATION AND DISPOSAL OF SLEDGE

2
 SEPTIC TANK

DEFINITION & LOCATION

o USED IN CASE OF ISOLATED
BUILDINGS, CUT OFF FROM THE
CITY DISPOSAL GRID.
o GENERALLY, FOUND IN RURAL
AND SEMI-URBAN AREAS.
o USED FOR TREATMENT PURPOSE
TO AVOID PUBLIC HEALTH
HAZARD AND NUISANCE.
o PROBABLE LOCATIONS
o AWAY FROM BUILDING AND
TOWARDS LEEWARD SIDE OF
BUILDING.
o SHOULD BE AVOIDED IN SWAMPY
AREAS OR AREAS PRONE TO FLOODS.
3
 SEPTIC TANK

DESIGN CRITERIA
o DESIGN INFLUENCED BY
o AMOUNT OF SEWERAGE TO BE HANDLED.
o CHARACTER OF SOIL EXPRESSED BY ITS ABSORPTION
CAPACITY.
o QUANTITY OF SEWERAGE DEPENDS ON TYPE OF
BUILDING AND OCCUPANCY
o RESIDENTIAL – 150 TO 200 LITRES/PERSON/DAY
o RESTAURANTS – 25 TO 40 LITRES/PERSON/DAY
o DAY SCHOOLS – 75 TO 100 LITRES/PERSON/DAY
o AIRPORT – 15 LITRES/PERSON/DAY
o RELATIVE ABSORPTION
o THIS PROPERTY IS DETERMINED BY DIGGING ‘TEST PIT’.
o TIME OF SEEPAGE THROUGH THE PIT GIVES ABSORPTION
4
FACTOR OF SOIL.
SEPTIC TANK

SIPHON TANK
o IT COLLECTS OVERFLOW
FROM SEPTIC TANK AND
DISCHARGES IT
PERIODICALLY THROUGH
THE ACTION OF AUTOMATIC
SIPHON INTO THE EFFLUENT
SEWER AND DISPOSAL
SYSTEM.
o USED IN
o IF AN EFFLUENT DISPOSAL
SYSTEM OF SAND FILTER TYPE
IS USED.
o IF SYSTEM IS DESIGNED FOR
3500 LITRES OR MORE DAILY
5
CAPACITY.
 SEPTIC TANK

SIPHON TANK
o CAPACITY IS GOVERNED WHOLLY BY CAPACITY OF
SEWERAGE TO BE TREATED PER DAY.
o WORKS LIKE A COMBINED SEDIMENTATION &
DIGESTION TANK.

6
 SEPTIC TANK

WORKING
o OBJECTIVES
o ACTS LIKE A COMBINED SEDIMENTATION AND
DIGESTION TANK.
o HOLDS SEWAGE TILL SUSPENDED WASTE SETTLES
DOWN AND REDUCTION OF BIOCHEMICAL WASTE IS
DONE THROUGH ANAEROBIC ACTIONS TO REDUCE
VOLUME.
o THE CLEARED EFFLUENT IS THEN TRANSFERRED TO
SOAK PIT.

7
 SEPTIC TANK

WORKING
o PROCESS
o RAW SEWERAGE FROM HOUSE ENTERS
SEPTIC TANK.
o THREE LAYERS ARE FORMED
o SOLID MATTER OR SLUDGE AT
BOTTOM.
o EFFLUENT OR MAIN LIQUID CONTENT
IN MIDDLE.
o SCUM ON UPPERMOST LAYER.
o SUSPENDED SOLID IS CHANGED INTO
GAS AND RELEASED BY VENT PIPE.
o EFFLUENT IS TRANSFERRED TO SIPHON
TANK OR EFFLUENT SEWER.
o THE EFFLUENT SEWER IS DESIGNED IN
A WAY SO AS TO EFFLUENT TO COME IN
CONTACT WITH AIR AND SOIL. 8
 SEPTIC TANK

DISTRIBUTION BOX
o DISTRIBUTION BOXES
o DISTRIBUTION BOXES
CONTROL AND DIRECT
THE FLOW OF EFFLUENT
SEWAGE FROM THE
EFFLUENT SEWER TO
VARIOUS PARTS OF THE
EFFLUENT DISPOSAL
SYSTEM.
o TYPE OF SYSTEM VARIES
ACCORDING TO NUMBER
OF OUTLETS AND
MANNER IN WHICH THE
FLOW MUST BE
CONTROLLED. 9
 SEPTIC TANK

LEECHING CESSPOOL
o LEECHING CESSPOOLS
o THEY RECEIVE THE EFFLUENT FROM SEPTIC OR SIPHON
TANK.
o THE WALLS OF POOL ARE LAID BELOW INLET TO ALLOW
LIQUID TO PASS THROUGH A LAYER OF BROKEN STONE INTO
THE GROUND.

10
 SEPTIC TANK

SUB-SOIL DISPOSAL BEDS

o CONSISTS OF A SERIES OF DRAIN
LINES LAID WITH TIGHT JOINTS
WHERE THE SLOPES ARE
RELATIVELY STEEP.
o USED TO DRAIN EFFLUENTS TO
SURROUNDING SOIL.
o CAPACITY IS DETERMINED BY
NUMBER OF 4-INCH DRAINAGE
LINE LAID WITH OPEN JOINTS.
o DRAINAGE LINES WITH TIGHT
JOINTS ARE NOT USED TO
CALCULATE THE CAPACITY OF
BED. 11
 SEPTIC TANK

SAND FILTERS
o GENERALLY OF TWO TYPES
o CLOSED
o CARRIES BOTH DISTRIBUTION AND COLLECTION DRAINS
UNDERGROUND IN THE FILTER BED, WITH THE UPPER LAYERS
OF DRAINS COVERED WITH EARTH.
o MAY BE LAID IN RECTANGULAR OR ROUND MANNER.

12
SEPTIC TANK

SAND FILTERS
o GENERALLY OF TWO TYPES
o OPEN
o EXPOSES THE EFFLUENT AND
REQUIRES A FILTER BED
FREE FROM ANY COVERING
OVER THE SAND.
o CAN BE USED WHERE FILTER
BEDS CAN BE PLACED AT A
DISTANCE FROM BUILDING.
o EFFLUENT IS CONVEYED
THROUGH CLOSED JOINT
DRAINAGE LINES ABOVE THE
SURFACE OF THE BED.
o CAPACITY OF SAND FILTER IS
EXPRESSED ON BASIS OF
SEWERAGE LOAD.
13
SEPTIC TANK

SOAK PITS
o IT IS A HOLLOW
CIRCULAR OR
RECTANGULAR
PIT.
o USED FOR LOW
WATER TABLE AND
LIMITED GROUND.
o USUALLY THE
FLOW SHOULD BE
VERTICALLY
DOWNWARDS AND
NOT
HORIZONTALLY
SPREADING. 14
 SEPTIC TANK

SOAK PITS
o MINIMUM HORIZONTAL DIMENSION SHOULD BE 1 M.
o THE DEPTH BELOW INVERT LEVEL OF INLET PIPE
SHOULD BE 1 M.
o PITS SHOULD BE COVERED AT TOP AND TOP RAISED
ABOVE GROUND LEVEL TO PREVENT DAMAGE FROM
FLOODING.

15
 SEPTIC TANK

DISPERSION TRENCHES
o USUALLY 1 M WIDE AND 1 M DEEP
OPEN JOINTED EARTHENWARE OF
CONCRETE PIPES ARE LAID AT
BOTTOM OVER A LAYER OF
CRUSHED STONES.
o TRENCH IS FILLED WITH COARSE
GRAVEL OR CRUSHED STONE
OVER THE PIPE.
o REST IS FILLED WITH EXCAVATED
EARTH AND MOUND ABOVE THE
GROUND LEVEL TO PREVENT IT
FROM DAMAGE DURING
FLOODING. 16
 SEPTIC TANK

IRRIGATION AND
DISPOSAL OF SLUDGE
o IRRIGATION OF SLUDGE
o THE EFFLUENT IS CONVEYED AND DISCHARGED THROUGH
UNDERGROUND DRAINS WITH OPEN JOINTS.
o THE EFFLUENT WORKS AS FERTILIZER.
o IT IS CALLED SUB-SURFACE IRRIGATION IN POROUS SOIL.
o DISPOSAL OF SLUDGE
o DISPOSAL MAY BE THROUGH COVERED PITS OR INTO
DISPOSAL VEHICLE.
o THE TANK MAY BE CLEANED EVERY 6 – 12 MONTHS.
MAXIMUM PERIOD MAY BE 3 YEARS.
o MINIMUM 25 MM SLUDGE SHOULD BE LEFT AT BOTTOM AS
SPEEDING MATERIAL FOR FRESH DEPOSIT. 17
 SEPTIC TANK

REFERENCES
o FUNDAMENTALS OF WATER SUPPLY AND SANITARY
ENGINEERING
- S. C. RANGWALA
o NATIONAL BUILDING CODE
o WATER SUPPLY AND SANITARY ENGINEERING
- S. K. HUSSAIN
o PLUMBING DESIGN AND PRACTICES
- S. G. DEOLALIKAR

• 18