Coastal Waste Water Specialists
QBCC: 15249942
Trouble Shooting
SLUDGE LEVEL
This is measured twice per year. The level is noted on your service report and is provided to help you plan for the cost of desludging your treatment tank.
0 – 400mm – sludge level OK.
400 – 600mm – sludge level medium to high – consider budgeting for desludging in the near future.
Over 600mm – will require desludging within the next 6-12 months (depending on load).
“Needs desludging now” – the level of sludge in your treatment tank is at/above operating level and requires your urgent attention. Desludging required asap. These levels WILL DAMAGE your aerator and will allow UNTREATED SEWERAGE to be applied to your disposal area.
Overuse of water.
Do not dispose of milk, fats, oils into system.
High sludge levels.
Avoid in-cistern toilet cleaners – blue water.
Water Ingress – from stormwater, swimming pool backflush/overflow, downpipe run-off etc.
Medication – some medications will adversely affect the treatment plant – antibiotics etc will kill of the good bacteria in the treatment plant – recommend using “Maintainer” to boost bacteria in the treatment plant.
High Load – higher than usual hydraulic loading – ie more people in house than usual, all washing/cleaning done in a single day – recommend staggered wash and cleaning days.
Grass too high – needs mowing – treated effluent cannot disperse properly when grass is high – keep disposal area mown short.
Sprinklers – BY LAW – heavy droplet sprinklers only – no impact sprinklers, should be lilac coded (purple in colour), keep sprinkler plume height to a minimum.
Setback Distances not met – treated effluent disposal too close to property boundary, leaking/spraying into neighbour’s property, too close to dam/pool/watercourse/house/water tank etc.
Trees/Plants – Be very careful with your selection of plants and trees in and around your treatment plant and disposal areas.
Effluent Ponding – move sprinklers regularly around whole of disposal area, keep grass short, do not drive over your effluent disposal area.
Blocked – ensure we have full access to treatment tank, are able to open all lids (ie do not cover tank with furniture/mulch/pot plants etc), are able to access disposal area including all valves/sprinklers etc.
Overgrown – as above – ensure vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the treatment tank is well pruned and service personnel can access all parts easily.
Dogs – please ensure dogs are restrained so that the scheduled service can be carried out.
Locked Gate – please provide a key or ensure that you are at home so that the scheduled service can be carried out. Service dates are advised via SMS day before – please make sure we have your correct mobile number.
Maintainer is sold in 1 litre bottles. It is a product that helps restore the “good” bacteria in a treatment plant following inappropriate product use, desludging, medication etc. MSDS available on our website or by request.
Dosage – 100mL – mix in a 9L bucket of lukewarm water and pour down the toilet/s last thing at night – do not flush.
Weekly – until odour dissipates (or in the case of long term medication use – as a preventive – for as long as necessary).
Your disposal area contains a root inhibitor called Trifluralin. The cartridge needs replacing every 2 years. Failure to do so will allow roots to infest the pipework and cause sewerage to pond on the lawn.
