Cottage cess pit problem

The pipe between the cottages and the cess pit/ soak away in the middle of south heath had got blocked. It was noticed last Tuesday flowing up out of the ground about 80 metres from the cess pit itself.

The head gardener at Windy Ridge did not manage to clear it himself with rods and today called in a contractor to help do the work.  The contractor drove onto the south heath and starting at the bottom of the pipe hosed up the pipe work doing something like 40 metres at a time, until the blockage was found just below where the stuff was flowing out.  It looks as if the last repair at this point had managed to damage the adjoining pipe connection, and this had built up into the blockage.

It is planned to take advantage of the three pits that were dug to expose the pipe work, and to fit inspection / rodding traps there, allowing  easier maintenance.

For future reference

- the soak-away is actually a properly constructed cess tank, with brick and concrete work.
- there is a metal inspection cover at the east end fairly close to the existing fence work.
- the pipe work is say 2 feet below the current surface.  The pipe was back filled with some pretty rough soil and stones, and looks very different from the surrounding peat.  I am happy if the stones are left on the surface, rather than buried.
- if one is rodding the pipe work through a T-junction, then care must be taken to ensure that the plunger goes the direction that you are aiming at.
- the fence work around the soak-away probably needs a little attention.
- the new inspection traps will be near the fence ( outside ) and 40 metres up from there.  The one wher ethe outflow occurred will be replaced or reset.
- if you look closely you can see the path of the pipe work and where the soil has been disturbed in the past.

The pipe is now clear and the rest of the work should be done before next Tuesday.  There are no domestic animals on the South Heath at the moment.  I guess Monty should be told about the outflow.  But with a bit of rain in the next few days, I doubt if it will be much trouble.

Though it should be noted that last time we fenced it off with a photo cell driven electric fence that Alice provided.


martin