There are many signs that a septic tank is no longer working properly or to its full capability. If there are obvious smells coming from the tank this is inevitably a sign that the breakdown of the waste is not taking place under the right conditions and in all likelihood is happening much slower than it is needed to.

The appearance of the discharge from a tank will also tell you whether the digestion process is being completed prior to discharge or not. In both cases it is the recovery of the health of the bacterial populations that is the key to rectifying the problem, something that is very achievable.

It may be the case that the structural integrity of the tank has suffered over the years in the case of older tanks causing leaks or blockages. This is not always a reason to ‘give up’ on the existing tank and install a brand new one and indeed older tanks are often more robust and more suited to establishing the healthy bacterial populations needed than modern ones, what’s more, repairs can be reasonably easy to effect at an affordable cost.

There are some important factors to consider concerning the maintenance of existing tanks and considerations to be made when installing new tanks. Domestic appliances must be screened before they can be let into the system. This is a problem many overlook unless you use bio friendly detergents and the like. The normal detergents from dish washers, washing machines, swimming pool backwash, etc. do upset the natural harmony of bacteria in the system which can cause a total shut down of all bacterial activities. This can be costly to restart the system if by luck the problem is discovered.

There will occasionally be a smell at some time of the day some days of the year, this is just natural, but it need not be intrusive or upsetting if the venting or bacteria or both are well managed.

A warm septic tank is a good working septic tank, therefore this is an important consideration regarding location and installation of a new system.

Security of the tank from people and more importantly flood is a prime design consideration relative to the location.
Flood, as mentioned above, is a real problem if allowed into the septic tank, so design and build criteria need to be very clear and site specific