Wastewater Treatment for New Builds

10 Tips on Choosing Wastewater Treatment for New Builds

If you’re planning a residential construction build, the wastewater treatment system is more important than you might think. If you’re in need of help, don’t hesitate to contact us and one of our representatives will assist you.

Wastewater Treatment​

10 Tips on Choosing Wastewater Treatment for New Builds

Overview

Many homes in Ireland have no connection to the main sewer system. Instead, they use a domestic wastewater treatment system. This kind of system is also called a sewage treatment plant.
Today, any home that’s not connected to a sewage system must have a domestic sanitation system or they might face potential fines. In the case of new construction, failure to install an acceptable sewage system can lead to costly delays.
For ten tips on choosing wastewater treatment for new builds, continue reading.

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1. Do You Need a Wastewater Treatment System?

Any home that’s not connected to the mains sewer must have a domestic system. However, the system must also follow guidelines established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA establishes wastewater treatment requirements for homes, communities and businesses. Different levels of treatment are available. The site’s conditions will define what level of treatment is required for your house. A site characterisation form will have to be undertaken to determine the treatment requirements.

The options are:

  • Primary treatment, such as Tricel Vento
  • Secondary Treatment (Tricel Novo)
  • and Tertiary treatment such as the Tricel Puraflo and Sandcel if installed after the wastewater treatment plants.

 

2. Start With Funding the Project

Unfortunately, at the moment, there are no wastewater treatment grants available for homes under construction or constructed within the last 7 years.

 

3. Know What to Look for in a Wastewater Treatment System

There are different types of wastewater treatment solutions.

  • The basic septic tanks, such as Tricel Vento.
  • The wastewater treatment plants, such as the Tricel Novo which is a mechanical aerated unit.
  • Or the Puraflo, which is a packaged filter system.

The Puraflo can also be used for tertiary treatment as can the Sandcel, which is a Sand Polishing filter.

The EPA uses three parameters to evaluate the level of treatment:

  1. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)
  2. Amonia (NH4)
  3. Suspended solids biochemical oxygen demand (SS)

4. Choosing a Location for the Treatment System

The EPA also establishes the setback distances for a wastewater treatment plant. These are the distances your wastewater treatment solution must be away from, such as houses, boundaries, lakes, etc.  An entire domestic wastewater system consists of the septic tank/treatment plant and the disposal area (percolation area or filter). Usually, a treatment plant requires a setback of at least 7m from the house. Your engineer should be able to advice you, alternatively, an expert wastewater treatment system installer can ensure that the system complies with regulations.

 

Distance from Septic Tank to House

5. The Wastewater Treatment System Must Meet Regulations

It is the homeowner’s responsibility to make sure the system in place meets regulation and does not pollute the environment.

The product should be CE certified and comply with S.R.66 (S.R.66 set out the requirements of what the tank must meet to be eligible to be used in Ireland).

Ultimately a faulty domestic wastewater treatment system can create public health issues or potentially pollute groundwater/wells. The EPA inspects wastewater systems across Ireland regularly for this reason.

 

6. Choosing the Tank Size

Many people don’t realise that a sewage treatment plant can come in different sizes. It’s vital to choose the right sized domestic wastewater system.

 

  • An undersized system may not provide sufficient sanitising qualities as the wastewater will pass through the system too quickly and sludge will build-up which could lead to extra desludging.
  • An oversized system doesn’t get enough wastewater for the system to operate efficiently and also requires unnecessary power to run the system.

If you would like to discuss your project with us, don’t hesitate to get in touch

7. Locating the Wastewater Treatment System

The regulations regarding domestic wastewater treatment systems can be quite complex. The equipment and distance requirements for the installation can vary. However, it’s your responsibility as a homeowner to make sure that your system is installed correctly.

In the EPA code of Practice, you can find the distances to respect between the house and the wastewater treatment tank and between the house and the wastewater treatment system (wastewater tank and disposable area) and all other requirements for locating your wastewater treatment system.

 

8. Managing Wastewater System Discharge

Engineers will perform a site characterisation test (percolation test being one of the elements of this test) to make this assessment. This test will determine the best disposable route for your site. It takes into consideration, site conditions, location of the site, gradient of the site, etc.

The ground disposes of the liquid, but also provides further treatment. It is important when installed that this area is looked after to ensure it operates as designed. There should be no big trees, driving of heavy machinery, etc which may affect his ability to discharge correctly.

 

9. Is the Installation on a wet or dry site?

A dry site is where the water table is lower than the base of the tank. 

A wet site is generally where the water table is higher than the base of the tank. In this situation, a concrete backfill maybe required to secure the tank in place. 

10. Caring for Your Wastewater Treatment System

It’s important to care for your wastewater treatment system so that it performs as efficiently as possible.

You need to ensure that an approved provider services your system annually.

It is also important to have your wastewater treatment system de-sludged regularly as set out by the manufacturer.

Today’s domestic wastewater treatment systems have alarms that will notify you of any mechanical failure.

 

Getting Expert Help

The process begins with a site assessment. An engineer will come to your home to evaluate a potential area for installation. The engineer will also test the percolation area during the site characterisation test. They’ll then make recommendations as to which wastewater treatment system is best for your home.

Next, the service provider will give you quotes and go over your project. Tricel makes wastewater treatment system installation easy for home and small business owners. You can start the process by requesting a free quote from our website. After submitting your query, a local Sales representative will contact you, they’ll explain the details of your installation.

 

Solutions That You Can Rely On

Now you know ten tips for choosing wastewater treatment for new builds. Tricel has served the needs of home and business owners around the world for nearly 50 years. We’ve built our stellar reputation by delivering high-quality products and reliable service. Today, we’re a globally recognised provider of water treatment solutions across a range of industries. We also provide solutions for homeowners. As you can see, domestic wastewater treatment installation can prove quite complex. However, we have many years of experience in the field. When you partner with Tricel, you can count on innovative, quality solutions. Furthermore, we guarantee the quality and dependability of every installation. Contact Tricel today to learn more about an effective water treatment system for your home or business.

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