Questions about soil/wastewater for condo

[cheeryble]

Hi

I have started taking an interest in the whole of the soil and wastewater system of our condo. It is working, but is ugly and in a state of disrepair.

It consists of:

8 above ground septic tanks: leaking slightly from small cracks. No smell. The outlets connect and that 4inch pipe links to what looks a bit like a 6ft wide well filled with little plastic grid pieces about 3inch across. A top outlet from this goes into the channel drain nearby. I'm not sure if this "well" is a soak away with the latter outlet being just an overflow or if it is just a secondary line of defence with the little plastic bits in there to hold back any fecal matter that somehow escaped the septic tanks, and all "cleaned" septic water discharging to the drain (is this legal?).

A channel drain of concrete which has been covered with concrete slab sections like you often see at the side of the road: this goes right round the perimeter of the property. It is for drainwater from roof/balconies etc and possibly for topwater runoff from the septic tanks, and also just for rainwater to run into. The covers are not uniform and many are uneven and broken or missing. Ugly as hell. Steel cover plates to junctions are badly corroded.

Apparently a contractor is coming in to render the tanks with their small leaks.

This has sharpened the mind. It is decayed, and I would like to see the whole shooting gallery renovated to be ready to serve another couple of decades.

Now I had thought that in the decades since the condo was built there must be a sewer in the road now and if so instead of repairing all this mess we could just demolish teh septic tanks and pipe all waste out.

I now believe this is not so....but if we need to do a few things they would be better done as an integrated whole rather than piecemeal.

As the channels need repairing anyway, I'm just wondering if instead of reforming the concrete covers on all the channel drain (difficult as edge deteriorated), we could use 600mm concrete drainpipe with regular inspection/rodding holes and connections to the downcoming greywater and septic outlets. As repairing the septic tanks by rendering the outside is unlikely to be more than a plaster on the wound, I have even thought maybe the tanks should be underground like in any new condo, so that the ground is flat and clear, and not only do things work well, they LOOK tidy and well maintained....which is not unimportant in a building like a condo.

Although I am quite competent on plumbing and have installed whole central heating systems and so on, I am not really a drain brain......can anyone give me any educated comments?

Any prices come to mind:

600mm concrete drain sections (about 1metre)

inspection manholes and lids.

Septic tanks large enough for about 12 rooms each....concrete/plastic?

If instead of piping the channel drain is tidied up and old covers are dumped I see steel grill cover sections as a neater option, about 3-400mm wide.....price?

Thanks!

The worst bits:.....and the "well" which stands about 3 feet above ground but I suspect goes well down.

Edited September 1, 2013 by cheeryble

[ripley]

Sorry to say I have nothing to contribute to this topic at the moment but thought you should know that I think your topic/post excellent and exemplifies the reason why I joined TVF. Shall follow this one with interest.

[cheeryble]

Thankyou for your interest Ripley

......yes TV can be truly wonderful as well as utter ¥$€%# ! Happily avoiding the €$¥%# is easy, rather like a septic tank, just rise above the detritus.

This topic will have few responses I dare say, but there is a huge range of expertise in all those expats, so why not try?

Rather like the transsexual landlady in Tales of the City we should enjoy the maintenance.

If a proper system of deep maintenance is installed a condo building will last forever.

Things will run properly and values will be optimized.

It will feel good!