No Septic Tanks Where Soakage Is Poor

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31061, 17 May 1966, Page 18

No Septic Tanks Where Soakage Is Poor

The Waimairi County Council's policy on septic tanks in unsewered parts of the county was explained yesterday by the council’s health inspector (Mr R. H. Gee), who was asked to comment on the refusal of a septic tank permit to a section-owner in Crofton road.

Mr Gee said that for 18 months the council had refused septic tank permits in areas where tests showed the ground to be unsuitable to take the soakage. In effect, refusal stopped a person building.

In particular said Mr Gee, this applied to Crofton road, and to the area round it bounded by Harewood, Gardiners, and Sawyers Arms roads. He could not guess the number of sections affected,

but there was a big subdivision potential in the block. “Test bores in this block have shown that soakage is impossible,” said Mr Gee. “Permits have been refused for septic tanks in the Highstead road area. The same applies elsewhere in bad-soakage areas.

“The council reached its decision about 18 months ago, after the completion of the Islesworth street sewer, when it was agreed that to allow the construction of septic tanks in unfavourable localities would be undesirable.” Mr Goe said that where soakage was poor, a septic tank would “pack up” within three months.

“A point not always appreciated is that a septic tank does not just take sewage,” he said. “Average domestic water consumption is 25 gallons a head a day, and it takes good free-running soil to get rid of that amount. Drainage from baths and washing would make up about 80 per cent of the discharge into a tank, with only 20 per cent sewage.”

The county chairman (Mr O. C. Mitchell) said it was council policy not to allow septic tanks where they could become a health hazard. On the latest report, sewers are expected to be laid in the Crofton road area within 18 months.