We're often asked what should be done about a soakaway that's just not up to the job.

Well, if it’s a simple blockage near the outlet from the septic tank, high pressure water jetting just might shift it but if this makes little or no difference then it’s probably time to get your shovel out – but before you start digging you might want to save a lot of time and effort and use some sonar tracing equipment to identify exactly where the blockage is!

Digging it up is not all bad news either - at least you get to know how your soak-away is built and what the ground conditions are like – important knowledge when deciding whether your soakaway needs extending, re-routing or replacing with for example the ezy-drain system pictured here.

Bear in mind also that some kind of pump at the outlet of the septic tank might be needed to raise the waste water to a better drainage area. 

If ground conditions are not good enough for a traditional soakaway to work or you find that you are polluting a nearby watercourse or river then you’ll have to bite the bullet and either convert your septic tank into a sewage treatment plant or replace it altogether with a new treatment plant.