Environmental
Environmental Services
At DC Merrett, our drivers have years of experience when it comes to septic tanks. A large number of properties in rural areas aren’t served by mains drainage. This means that they require a septic tank, cesspit or sewage treatment plant to store their domestic waste.
Our friendly and professional team can help you look after your sewage disposal systems. We can offer services to regularly empty them responsibly and keep them well-maintained and in good condition. Whether you have a domestic property, a commercial business or a public venue, we are confident that we can deliver the support that you need.
We’ve tried to cover everything that you need to know below, however, should you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can also use our easy online form to get a free quotation.
Why is it important to have your septic tank emptied?
It’s important to have your septic tank regularly emptied in order to keep it properly maintained and functioning as it should. Your tank plays a vital role in the overall running of your household such as removing wastewater from appliances & drains as well as other effluent discharges.
If you don’t have your tank frequently emptied, it can cause multiple issues such as:
- Damage to the soakaway
- Overflowing sinks
- Appliances draining slowly
- Tank developing leaks
- Foul smells arising
- Overflowing sludge and scum
- Leaks leading to environmental damage
Does my septic tank need emptying?
One thing that is a good indicator that it needs to be emptied is if it starts to emit a smell. You shouldn’t be able to smell anything from your septic tank, so if you do, it’s time to call in someone to empty it.
As experienced experts, we recommend that it should be emptied at least once a year to maintain a fully functioning sewage system.
Other signs that it may need to be emptied include:
- Pooling water around the drain field
- Sinks and toilets drain slowly or not at all
- Unusual plant growth around your tank (more than expected)
- Overflowing sludge or scum
If you notice any of these signs, our approachable team will be happy to help.
Please note that we don’t offer inspections or servicing, however, we may still be able to assist you.
Difference between septic tanks and cesspits
Both a septic tank and a cesspit do the same job in that they collect wastewater and sewage from households and other properties. However, they work in slightly different ways.
Septic tanks use a simple process to treat wastewater by draining it away to a soakaway. A soakaway is an efficient way to deal with excess water in your drainage system. This process has a low environmental impact and is one of the only remaining legal ways to discharge treated wastewater.
In contrast to this, a cesspit is simply an underground tank that collects wastewater and sewage. It does not have a soakaway therefore, no processing or treatment is applied to the collected waste. This does mean that they need to be emptied regularly, however, how often it needs doing depends on the size of the property.
Due to them holding onto all of the wastewater, cesspits are typically a lot larger than septic tanks. If you do have a cesspit, please specify this when booking your appointment so that we can ensure that the right vehicle attends.
Common Queries
Why does my tank look full a few days after being emptied?
The intended result of emptying your tank is to remove solids to prevent them from moving through to the soakaway or drainage field. A few days after being emptied your tank might look full again. This is because it returns to normal working levels. Once it returns to these levels, it then works by displacement, catching any solids as they enter and allowing dirty water to move through to the outlet.
Our Environmental Responsibility
As an independent family-run business we care about the finer details. This includes our responsibility as a team that transports and arranges the disposal of effluent products. To enable us to offer our services, we are registered as waste carriers and hold a waste carrier license that is issued by the Environment Agency.