DESIGN OF A SEPTIC TANK

INSTRUCTED BY:

Ms.

GROUP MEMBERS:

GROUP:

DATE OF ASSI:

DATE OF SUB:
User category: Luxury Residents

Per capita waste water flow (all waste) = 240 l/person/ day

No. of users = 6

Average daily waste water flow, Q = 6 240

= 1440 l/day

= 1.44 m3/day

Determination of working capacity (APPENDIX C, SLS 745: Part 1: 2004)

Volume required for settling, Vs = ts . Q

ts = (1.5 0.3. logQ)

= [1.5 0.3. log (1.44)]

= 1.45 > 0.2, hence ok.

Vs = 1.45 1.44

= 2.09 m3

Volume required for sludge digestion, Vd = qs. td. p

qs = 0.001 m3/ day per person for all waste

td = 33 days

p = Q/ 0.2 = 1.44/ 0.2 = 7.2 m3/ day per person

Vd = 0.001 33 7.2

= 0.2376 m3

Volume required for sludge storage, Vst = r. p. n

r = 0.04 m3/ year per person

assume desludging interval, n = 5 years

Vst = 0.04 7.2 5 = 1.44 m3

Volume required for scum storage = 0.5 Vst = 0.5 1.44 = 0.72 m3

Design working capacity of the septic tank, V = Vs + Vd + 1.5Vst

V = 2.09 + 0.2376 + 1.51.44

= 4.49 m3

1 m3 < V < 12 m3, 1 septic tank is adequate.

Tank geometry
1
Minimum surface area = Working capacity of the tank
3
1
= 4.49 3

= 1.5 m2

Assume liquid depth = 1.5m and internal width = 1.0m

Surface area of the septic tank =

= 4.49 / 1.5 = 2.993m2 > 1.5m2, hence ok.

Internal length of the septic tank =

4.49
= = 2.993 = 3.0 m
1.51.0

2
Length of the first compartment = Internal length
3

2
= 3.0 = 2.0m
3

1
Length of the second compartment = Internal length
3

1
= 3.0 = 1.0m
3

Internal width of the tank = 1.0m

Length / width = 3.0/ 1.0 = 3 , hence ok.

Liquid depth = 1.5m

Free board height = 250mm

Design of the Soakage pit

Depth to the ground water table = 3.0m > 2.5m, hence applicable.

Percolation rate = 50mm/h , between 25mm/h and 125mm/h, hence applicable.

Average daily flow = 1.44m3/ day < 30m3 / day, hence ok.

Specific effective area = 17 m2/ m3 per day

Required effective area = 1.44 17 = 24.5m2

Minimum depth to the ground water table = 1.8m

Minimum dimension on plan view = 0.9m

Maximum dimension on plan view = 3.0m

Assume a square shape pit having length = width = 3.0m

Required depth of the pit = d,

3 (d 0.45) 4 + 3 3 = 24.5

d = 1.742m

Depth to the ground water table from the bottom of the pit = 3.0 d = 3.0 1.742

= 1.258 m < 1.8m

Not satisfying the required depth criteria. Therefore, single soakage pit cannot be used.

Consider two square shape soakage pits having length = width = 2.5m

Required depth of the pit = d,

[2.5 (d 0.45) 4 + 2.5 2.5] 2 = 24.5

d = 1.05m

say d = 1.1m

Depth to the ground water table from the bottom of the pit = 3.0 d = 3.0 1.1

= 1.9 m > 1.8m, hence ok.

Minimum distance between Soakage pits = 10m

Used soakage pits parallel with a distance of 10m.