Householders were obliged to register their treatment systems before 01 February 2013.  This was also a stipulation if you wished to avail of grant aid.  As of July 2013, 446,000 householders had registered their treatment systems.

Online – www.protectourwater.ie – by credit card/debit card.

By Post: Registration forms are available online;

from City/County Councils; Libraries; Citizen Information Centres or

Lo Call 1890 800 800.

Further info available here.

Inspections will be objective and evidence-based. Householders can be assured that if their systems are working properly and are being maintained, they need not be concerned. There will be a proportionate and risk-based approach to inspections, which will be targeted towards areas where drinking water sources or habitats are at risk from septic tank discharges.

As part of the inspection, treatment systems will be examined to ensure that they are not posing a risk to public health or the environment through leakage or discharges to the surface of the ground or into nearby ditches.  There will also be checks to ensure that regulations regarding roof and surface water as well as grey water are complied with.

The Dept. of Environment, Community & Local Government in conjunction with the EPA and the HSE have published leaflets for householders on What to expect from an Inspection.

 

EPA have published the national inspection plan.

Owners of domestic waste-water treatments systems need to:

• Know where their  septic tank is located;
• Operate and maintain the system so it is fit for purpose and fully operational;
• The system can not pollute the environment by discharging/leaking waste anywhere it is not suppose to ie. Into the ground or any water source ;
• Roof water or surface water run-off can not enter a domestic waste water treatment system;
• The system should be de-sludged at intervals appropriate to the tank capacity and the number of persons resident in the premises connected to it or as recommended by the system’s manufacturer.

Training of qualified local authority staff and their formal appointment as inspectors by the EPA is underway (as of July 2013).  The National Inspection Plan provides that a minimum of 1,000 inspections will take place nationally between now and July 2014.  Householders should take care not to allow uninvited persons, or persons claiming to be septic tank inspectors, to enter onto their property in advance of the launch of inspections. Householders will be formally notified by their local authority if their domestic waste water treatment system is to be inspected and inspectors will be required to carry identification and to present this on request to householders.

The Department of Environment have stated “There is no question of imposing modern standards, for example those set out in the EPA’s 2009 Code of Practice, to older systems.” Nor is there any question of householders having to acquire additional land to facilitate remediation work. Where an on-site system fails an inspection, the remediation work required will be based on factors such as the nature of the problem, the extent of risk to public health or the environment, existing site size and the hydrological and geological conditions present.

In December 2012, The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Mr. Phil Hogan, T.D., announced a grant scheme to provide financial assistance to households whose septic tanks and other domestic waste water treatment systems, require remediation or upgrading following inspection under the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012.  The Minister said a strict condition of eligibility for the grant aid was that the householder had registered their system by the prescribed date of 1 February 2013.  Up to 27 June 2013, some 446,000 householders had registered (nearly 90%). Census 2011 indicates that there are about 497,000 septic tanks and similar systems in Ireland. The Application Form can be downloaded here.

The EPA recommend that septic tanks / treatment plants need to be emptied every 1 to 2 years, depending on tank size, number of people using the system, manufacturers requirements and the amount and type of solids entering the tank.

Lehane Environmental carry out the following as part of our service:

• Empty your Septic Tank / Treatment System
• Dispose of sludge from the tank to a Licensed/Permitted Treatment Facility listed on our Waste Collection Permit
• Issue a Certificate of Desludging to the householder

No, the septic tank cannot be emptied properly through the vent pipe. If the tank is emptied through the vent pipe it is not possible to take out the sludge from the bottom of the tank which is the main purpose of emptying the tank. Often the manhole cover is covered over by grass. You will need to expose the manhole cover so the  septic tank can be emptied properly.

The septic tank should ideally be located within 60 feet of where the truck can park. If the tank is further away than 60feet this is not a problem as once we are notified of this the driver can bring extra hosing.

The truck is the equivalent size to a home heating oil truck. If you have access for an oil truck you have enough access for Lehane Environmental.

Lehane Environmental empty every type of treatment plant or septic tanks (including but not limited to) the following brands: Klargester, Puraflo, Biocycle, Envirocare, Kielys and many more. If your particular make or model is not on the list, don’t worry, we can empty it.

Some indications of a blocked drain:

• when you flush the toilet, the water level rises but eventually seeps down
• waste is backing up in any one of or all of toilets/sinks/showers/bath/outside drain
• odours in the house

• build up of fats/grease from dishwasher
• build up of detergent from washing machine
• build up of hair together with shampoo,conditioner, shower gel
• baby wipes, nappies, female hygiene products
• collapsed pipe/damaged pipe (roots of trees, etc)
• recent construction work – grout, cement, etc
• excessive amount of toilet paper
• Toys! lego blocks, dinkys, dolls…

We would recommend a CCTV survey which will show the condition of the drains and help identity any problems with the drains such as collapsed pipes, root interference, build up of fats/grease, etc.  Any number of items can cause an odour –

• broken pipe / dip in pipe and therefore stagnant waste holding in pipe
• dead rodent

A system involving physical, chemical, biological or thermal processes, or a combination of such pro- 10 cesses, utilised for the treatment or disposal of domestic waste water, or the sludge derived from domestic waste water, and includes—

(a) all septic tanks and waste water tanks and systems receiving, storing, treating 15 or disposing of domestic waste water and all drains associated with such tanks or systems, and
(b) all drains associated with the discharge of domestic waste water, whether or 20 not they discharge to a septic tank or waste water tank;

These are measures that can be taken to guard against the inconvenience of a blocked or structurally defective drain:

• Regularly flush basin / bath / shower / pipework with disinfectant to clear soap residue.
• Keep objects such as bottles, jewellery, toys away from where they could fall into the toilet.
• To remove scale build up (in hard water areas) from a shower head (reducing flow and looking unpleasant) fill a plastic bag with vinegar and tie it around the shower head – this will dissolve the mineral deposit.
• Don’t use your toilet as a bin. Flushing solid waste items (nappies, wipes, cotton buds, sanitary towels) down the toilet is a fast route to causing a blocked drain. Keep a waste bin in the bathroom and use that instead.
• Run hot water down the drain on a regular basis (weekly) – this will help prevent drain blockages and keep the drain free flowing.
• Fit strainers to the plug holes in sinks, baths and showers. This will prevent most debris from entering the drain [such as matted hair or broken soap]. Make sure you empty out the strainers when they are full.
• Do not dispose of food scraps down the kitchen sink. Pull scraps out of the plug hole, don’t poke through.
• Never dispose of cooking fats down the drain system. As they hit cold water they will solidify
• Keep drain grids free of leaves, moss and regularly wash down with hot water and disinfectant.
• Check drains are free-flowing by periodically lifting drain covers
• Check gutters and downpipes twice a year. Remove any debris with a trowel