SEWAGE TREATMENT
Desludging Process
OVERVIEW
Tricel wastewater treatment plants and septic tanks
In Ireland, approximately half a million homes are using domestic wastewater treatment systems (either septic tanks or packaged systems) to treat wastewater. The article below will detail the desludging process for septic tanks and wastewater treatment plants.
Table of Contents
If you have any questions, feel free to call us
VISIT OUR virtual SHOWROOM
Desludging process for septic tanks and wastewater treatment plants
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent public body. It is responsible for supervising Local Authorities (LA) when they inspect wastewater systems. Inspections are done to ensure that the systems are suitable and well maintained. In fact, a quarter of wastewater systems inspected failed the LAs inspection due to poor operation and poor maintenance. Please click on the following links for more details on EPA and DWWTS Inspections and Enforcement 2019.
To ensure your wastewater treatment system is suitable and well maintained, learn more about the desludging process below.
Desludging process recommendations
Does your septic tank or waste water treatment plant need desludging?
By law, homeowners must ensure that their wastewater treatment solution is installed, operated and maintained to make sure it doesn’t pose a risk to public health and the environment. On a regular basis, maintenance and desludging are therefore essential to maintaining a waste water treatment system running smoothly.
Sludge level in the tank
As the height of sludge/organic solids increase over time in the septic tank / primary settlement chamber (closest to inlet), this reduces the settlement time for solids and the ability of the system to treat the effluent is reduced. A system that is never desludged is at risk of failure i.e. environmental hazard, and causing problems e.g. bad odours.
When to desludge?
- Desludging of the Tricel Vento is recommended on a yearly basis but this depends on tank capacity and use. Best practice is to desludge when the septic tank/primary settlement chamber is half full. It is done to prevent solids rising to the height of the outlet pipe and being carried along with the liquid into the percolation trenches. This, in turn, can block the percolation area and can cause flooding resulting in high costs to rectify.
- For the Tricel Novo wastewater treatment plant, desludging is required once a year when the sludge reaches 50% (or 700mm deep) of the water level in the primary settlement chamber.
Note: in Tricel Novos with a pumped outlet, the pump may have just activated prior to measuring the sludge level. If this has occurred, there will be a lower than normal water level in the tank resulting in an inaccurate sludge level reading. In this case, please measure from the high water line evident on the side of the tank.
How to check the sludge level Tricel Novo wastewater treatment plant?
To check the sludge level in the septic tank/primary settlement chamber, you will require a transparent measuring cylinder with measurement marked the length of the cylinder. Ensure the measuring cylinder is long enough to reach the bottom of the tank without having to bend down into the tank.
We recommend you to book a yearly service during which the sludge level would be checked and advice given whether desludging is needed or not.
Separation Distances
- Do not allow machinery/traffic to drive over the tank.
- Rolling loads i.e. traffic must not come with in 4m of the tank.
- Static loads i.e. sheds, houses etc must not be within 3m of the tank.
access for desludging process
Tricel Vento Septic tank:
During the desludging process or the septic tank emptying, both chamber 1 and chamber 2 should be emptied.
Notes:
- The access cover should never be left off while the unit is unattended.
- Desludging process should never be carried out alone.
Tricel Novo wastewater treatment plant:
For the Novo sewage treatment plants, the access for desludging is through the desludging access cover (see below). Note: on large plants, an access cover may also need to be opened. The section of the tank to empty is the primary settlement chamber. This chamber is closest to the inlet and will have no aeration bubbles in the chamber under normal operation. Note that in normal operation there is no need to empty the aeration chamber or the final settlement chamber.
Notes:
- There is the potential danger of falling into the tank during desludging process when manholes may be opened – take all necessary safety precautions when de-sludging.
- The access cover should never be left off unattended.
Questions
Should the air blower be turned off during desludging on a wastewater treatment plant?
No, there is no need to turn the air blower off during the desludging process of the Tricel Novo.
What to do after desludging the Tricel Vento septic tank and Tricel Novo wastewater treatment plant:
Both require filling in after desludging/emptying. The septic tank/primary chamber must be refilled with fresh water after desludging.
In relation, to the wastewater treatment system (Tricel Novo), fill the primary settlement chamber until level with the aeration chamber.
Please note that regular maintenance is also part of looking after your septic tank and sewage treatment plant, check our manuals to see what is the recommended regular and annual maintenance.
Desludge Vento
- Remove both access covers.
- Remove the filter.
- Empty the Tricel Vento septic tank using a vacuum tanker. Care must be taken not to damage the tank with the hose of the vacuum tanker.
- Ensure that all the solids are removed from the tank.
- Replace the de-sludging access cover securely.
- Only competent approved personnel should carry out desludging.
- The access cover should never be left off while the unit is unattended.
- Desludging process should never be carried out alone.
- The property owner has a legal responsibility to ensure that the system does not cause pollution, a health hazard or nuisance
Desludge Novo
- Remove the desludging access covers.
- Empty the Tricel Novo using the vacuum tanker. Ensure the solids get removed with the liquid.
- Care must be taken not to damage the Tricel Novo with the hose of the vacuum tanker.
- Replace the desludging access cover securely.
- Only competent approved personnel should carry out de-sludging.
- There is the potential danger of falling into the tank during desludging when manholes may be open – take all necessary safety precautions when desludging.
- The access cover should never be left off an unattended Tricel Novo.
- De-sludging procces should never be carried out alone.
- The desludging process of the Tricel Novo is the responsibility of the homeowner.
How often should you desludge a septic tank or wastewater treatment plant?
In both septic tanks and wastewater treatment plants, a build-up of all solids occurs. This is called “sludge”. Both septic tanks and sewage treatment plants do require desludging or emptying. The frequency of which varies depending on the system in place and the usage. The general recommendation is once a year. We advise checking the manufacturer’s recommendations and manuals.
Tricel Vento septic tank desludging frequency
For Tricel Vento septic tank, desludging should be carried out yearly to prevent solids rising to the height of the outlet pipe and being carried along with the liquid into the percolation trenches. This blocks the percolation area and can cause flooding. Depending on usage and house population, this period may vary. The minimum recommended desludging period is 1 year for all tank sizes.
Tricel Novo wastewater treatment plant desludging frequency
Tricel Novo wastewater treatment plant desludging frequency depends on usage and might be necessary every year. When the sludge is occupying 50% of the volume of the primary chamber desludging is required, this is when the sludge is 700mm deep. The Tricel Novo will require a full service every year to guarantee the efficiency of the plant.
Further information about the desludging process:
More info about desludging:
Keep records of your septic desludging or wastewater treatment plant desluging.
We recommend that you keep a log along with the receipts from the licensed company. This might come in handy to prove that your system has been regularly maintained, in the following situations:
- Inspection from the EPA.
- If you decide to sell your house.
- Moreover, it is required by law to keep records of sludge removal and maintenance for five years.
Desludging process should be done by licensed waste collection companies
Only registered and licensed waste collection companies should be used to desludge your septic tank or wastewater treatment plant. They are insured as well as trained to safely & efficiently handle and dispose of the sludge. They make sure the sludge doesn’t pose any health hazard to the public or cause pollution to the environment.
To find details of a licensed desludging company near you, research online or contact your local authority for a list of contractors. There is the potential danger of falling into the tank during desludging process when manholes may be open – take all necessary safety precautions when desludging.
Farmers with their own land, you can spread their own sludge but only in accordance with the Waste Management (Use of Sewage Sludge in Agriculture) Regulations.
Only competent approved personnel should carry out the desludging process.
Desludging costs
Can vary between counties and suppliers, as a rule of thumb the costs are situated between 200€ and 400€. Make sure to get a waste disposal certificate from wastewater disposal company.
Where does the sludge go?
Permitted contractors bring the sludge to authorised facilities for treatment, details of which are available from your local authority.
Articles you might be interested in
50 years in business
A highly successful multinational corporation with over 50 years’ valuable industry experience
SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS
Plants available for all capacities, from 1PE up to 50PE. Free advice on request.
Fast Delivery
On-time delivery is a core requirement of our successful business operations
Meet our team
To find a technician in your area, visit our page
TALK SEWAGE TREATMENT
To speak to one of our agents online, click here
ASK FOR A QUOTE
Request a free quote today to have a quote that meets your project!
Our range of products
Tricel Vento Septic Tank
Shallow dig tank, strong & robust underground tank, No electrical or moving parts. Ideal for sites with good drainage & plenty of space.
Tricel Novo Sewage Treatment Plant
Durable & long lasting SMC tank, shallow dig tank, easy installation (Plug and Play), long life components.
Tricel Maxus Sewage Treatment Plant
Commercial plant. Submerged Aerated Filter (SAF) technology. Ideal for project over 50 PE.
Tricel Tero Tertiary Treatment
An eco-friendly and modular system with proven E.Coli Treatment capabilities in line with the new EPA requirements.
Tricel Puraflo Secondary treatment plant
Ideal for sensitive sites, compliant to Irish Standard, small footprint.
Tricel Sandcel
Sand Polishing Filter
Provides a dual function of polishing the effluent from a wastewater treatment system and disposing it into groundwater.
Tricel Pumping Stations
Pump fluids from one place to another where gravity drainage cannot be used, easy and trouble-free installation
Key features
Cost-Effective
Operating costs are reduced to
a minimum
quality
Sewage treatment plants are extremely reliable and durable as they are made out of long-lasting materials (20 to 40 years)
Certified
All Tricel Novo sewage treatment plants are tested to the highest quality standards and are EU Certified to EN12566-3
Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT IS PE ?
PE represents the initials of Population Equivalent. Population equivalent: conversion value which aims at expressing non-domestic applications in terms of domestic loading based on 1 person creates 60 g/day BOD5 and 150l/day. (Code of Practice: Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Systems Serving Single Houses (p.e. < 10), EPA)
DIFFERENT PRODUCTS SOLD BY TRICEL
Tricel Novo & Vitae
Both are wastewater treament plant solutions manufactured by Tricel. Wastewater treatment plants offer a superior quality of treatment. For example, the Tricel Novo comprises of three independent wastewater treatment zones and offers an average of efficiency of 95.9% BOD removal.
This is a higher treatment standard than the effluent from a septic tank. Please note: all wastewater treatment plants used in Ireland must comply with the EN12566-3 standard and all septic tanks must comply with the EN12566-1 standard..
Tricel Vento
The septic tank from Tricel is manufactured as a primary treatment. Designed for the settlement of your effluent. This product may need an additional treatment like the Sandcel or Puraflo.
WARRANTIES
Most Tricel products have a warranty. To discover all the guarantees on our products, as well as on the internal parts, consult our dedicated product pages.
WHAT IS THE QUALITY OF THE WASTEWATER PRODUCED?
The required standards are 20:30:20 BOD, SS, NH4. All Tricel produces exceed the requirements when tested to En12566-3 and comply with SR66.
Learn more about our certification
MAINTENANCE ON THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS
Tricel recommends that you maintain your device to the fullest. You are obliged by law to avoid all types of pollution or nuisances. Do not hesitate to contact us for more information on our service contracts. An annual maintenance contract may be offered.
Get in touch
Error: Contact form not found.