New build sewage treatment

[General-Lee]

I know this is probably done to death, but a lot of the posts I came across were older. 
 

I’m planning the drains for our new build (4 bed), did a percolation test at the weekend and took 7 hrs to drain away, so looking at treatment plants. 
 

Kind of narrowed it down to Bio-Pure, WPL, Conder but I do keep coming back to Biorock for several reasons. 
 

Any up to date opinions on the above? I do like the fact the Bio rock is electric free, I’m more than capable and happy to install and if I can commission, service it myself down the line even better. 
 

Also how are people finding the desludging intervals?  

On our own farmland so no issues with siting, probably going to be approx 35m from the house. 

[ProDave]

7 hours to drain away sounds way too long.  You should have come up with a figure in seconds per mm to drain away, what is that figure?

[General-Lee]

6 minutes ago, ProDave said:

7 hours to drain away sounds way too long.  You should have come up with a figure in seconds per mm to drain away, what is that figure?

I may of done the test wrong? I timed how long it took to drain in the 300mm hole between the two 75mm points.  

[ProDave]

3 minutes ago, General-Lee said:

I may of done the test wrong? I timed how long it took to drain in the 300mm hole between the two 75mm points.  

I forget the exact procedure but you divide the time in seconds that it takes to drain, with the level difference that it drains, and get a figure in seconds per mm

 

So if you let it drain the full 300mm you divide your total time in seconds by 300

[General-Lee]

19 minutes ago, ProDave said:

I forget the exact procedure but you divide the time in seconds that it takes to drain, with the level difference that it drains, and get a figure in seconds per mm

 

So if you let it drain the full 300mm you divide your total time in seconds by 300

Yeah what I did is same. 300mm deep, 75mm reference points then divide the seconds by 150. 
 

 

[Oxbow16]

What was the total depth of the hole you dug?  The 300mm cube you fill and test should be below the bottom of the proposed outlet pipe depth.  So if the drainage pipe itself will be 300mm deep, you fist dig a 300mm deep hole (width is irrelevant), and then AT THAT LEVEL you dig the 300mx300mx300mm test hole.  Fill that hole and allow it to drain overnight.  Then refill to 300mm the next day and time how long it takes to drop from 225mm to 75mm, which it sounds like you did.  You should refill a further two times and time these in the same way.  Then calculate an average.  

 

Hope that all makes sense!  

 

You then put the figures through an equation, which I can find for you if you are interested?  Let me know.

 

I would personally try another hole in another area.  If there's any chance the area you tried the test hole in has previously been compacted, this may have an impact.  I say all of this because it is exactly what happened to me recently.  The first hole chronically failed.  I ruled out a drainage field based on that, but then decided to try an other hole in another part of the land, and that had great results.  

 

If you went for a Sewage Treatment Plant, where would you be discharging to?  A stream?  

[Bart1664]

On 14/10/2020 at 07:05, General-Lee said:

I know this is probably done to death, but a lot of the posts I came across were older. 
 

I’m planning the drains for our new build (4 bed), did a percolation test at the weekend and took 7 hrs to drain away, so looking at treatment plants. 
 

Kind of narrowed it down to Bio-Pure, WPL, Conder but I do keep coming back to Biorock for several reasons. 
 

Any up to date opinions on the above? I do like the fact the Bio rock is electric free, I’m more than capable and happy to install and if I can commission, service it myself down the line even better. 
 

Also how are people finding the desludging intervals?  

On our own farmland so no issues with siting, probably going to be approx 35m from the house. 

I've just had my local Biorock installer round (Herefordshire) to discuss a new Waste Treatment plant to replacing the ageing Septic Tank. He fits all varieties but is my local approved Biorock installer and he says that he's fitted quite a few (I didn't ask for an exact figure) but of those that he has fitted they appear to be working well without issues. He says the issues he does have is going to those that have failed to follow the installation instructions and then putting it right. I won't be doing mine but he did say they can quite easily be fitted!

I too like the idea of the Biorock - being just a modern Septic Tank with no electricary and he said that unlike other waster plants the Biorock can be left for up to 6 months without being used whereas the electric/mechanical ones do need to be working on a regular basis.