Soakaways
Soakaways
Soakaway Installation
The installation of a soakaway is not an exact science but there are formulae to assist in obtaining the correct design, it can not be exact because the volumes of water whether foul or storm water will fluctuate.
Percolation tests (explained in the Septic Tank section) tell us how long it will take on average for a certain volume of water to disperse into the soil.
This provides the basis for calculation without which, would be a complete guess
Foul water Soakaways
In general but not always, foul water soakaways will be designed to spread over a long distance via sub-surface trenches, with foul water the volumes to be catered for can be reasonably accurately predicted because its based on how much water is used by one person in 24 hours and multiplied by the relevant number of people, delivery of this water is spread over a 24 hour period but with the greater volumes during early morning and evening.
Rainwater Soakaways
Rainwater soakaways however generally require holding capacity because there is often a large volume of water delivered to the Soakaway in a short period of time, when this occurs the volume of water is greater than the sub-soil can disperse over the same period of time.
The deign should provide a storage facility so the water can be collected quickly and stored, then dispersed as the soil will allow however, Soakaways are not always the answer and will not always cope during prolonged or heavy rainfall.