Issue Description Date

02 CC694 March 2009

TDS0005P
DRAINAGE FIELDS ALSO KNOWN AS
SUB-SURFACE IRRIGATION SYSTEMS


Contact Numbers:

UK:
Service Tel: +44 (0) 845 355 0555
Service Fax: +44 (0) 1264 325245

Ireland:
Service Tel: +44 (0) 28 302 54077
Service Fax: +44 (0) 28 302 60046


All septic tank systems must have a drainage field to treat the effluent further before it enters the groundwater.
Many small package treatment units also discharge their effluent into a drainage field, primarily for liquid dispersal but
also for additional effluent treatment.
The infiltration zone beneath the sub surface irrigation pipe becomes biologically active and enables additional
treatment of the effluent. The unsaturated zone beneath this provides attenuation and a pathway for oxygen diffusion
for further treatment. A saturated zone provides further dispersion and dilution of the treated effluent.
The siting and design of the drainage field depends on many factors, the most important of which is that there is
sufficient suitable land with subsoil capable of absorbing the daily effluent discharge on a long term basis.
The UK regulators have issued documents which provides detailed guidance for planning an off mains system. DETR
Circular 3/99 (This is the same as the Welsh Office circular 10/99) Planning Requirements in respect of the use of
Non Mains Sewerage requires that an independent assessment of the site and land is carried out before the
installation of a sewage treatment plant. Your planning consent and agreement to discharge effluent requires this
assessment.
BS 6297: 2007 is a new code of practice for the design and installation of drainage fields for use in wastewater
treatment. It provides recommendations and guidance to aid preliminary planning, detailed site investigation to identify
suitable drainage field locations and the assessment of site characteristics. It provides systems designs and layouts
including percolation testing and determination of trench area.
Site assessments must be made before equipment is purchased or installed as not all land is suitable for drainage
field use. A percolation test establishes the length and area of infiltration trench required to disperse the effluent. Soil
porosity can vary across a site and the percolation test should be carried out at the intended location of the proposed
drainage field. It should not be carried out in extreme weather conditions such as drought frost or heavy rain.
Other regulatory documents should be consulted, pollution prevention guideline no 4 (PPG4) and Building
regulations Part H (M in Scotland). However, please note that BS 6297:2007 provides the latest and most detailed
percolation test method, a summary of which follows.
In order to assess the infiltration zone a percolation test is required. A deeper trial hole should be used to identify the
soil and conditions beneath the drainage field, including the position of the seasonally highest water table. There
should be a minimum of 1.2 m of unsaturated soil above this position.

TDS0005P-02

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Percolation Test
1. Excavate at least two holes, 300 mm square to a depth at least 300 mm below the proposed invert level (bottom of
the infiltration pipe), spacing them along the proposed line of the subsurface irrigation system. While digging the
hole, note and record changes in soil characteristics at measured depths and the position of the water table if
reached.
2. Saturate the local soil by filling each hole with water to a depth of at least 300 mm and allow this to seep away
completely.
3. If the water drains rapidly, within 10 minutes, the hole should be refilled up to a maximum of 10 times. If the water
continues to drain away rapidly, the ground is unsuitable.
4. If the water has not soaked away within 6 hours, the area is not suitable.
5. Determine the percolation rate by refilling each hole with water to a depth of at least 300 mm and observe the time
in seconds for the water to seep away from 75% full to 25% full (i.e. a depth of 150 mm).
6. Divide this time in seconds by 150. This gives the average time in seconds required for the water to drop 1 mm.
7. Repeat the test at least three times in each hole.
8. Take the average figure from the tests to produce the percolation value Vp (in seconds).
9. Obtain the average figure for the percolation value (Vp) by summing all the values and dividing by the number of
values used.
10. Retain the results, these may be required by the regulator and the property owner.
11. Where the Vp results vary widely (50% above or below the average figure), make further tests on a minimum of
three different locations in the area of the proposed drainage field.
12. Drainage field disposal can only be used when percolation tests indicate average values of Vp between 15 and
100 and the preliminary assessment of the trial hole tests has been favourable.
13. The minimum value of 15 ensures that untreated effluent cannot percolate too rapidly into the ground potentially
resulting in the pollution of groundwater. Where Vp is above the limit of 100, effective treatment is unlikely to take
place in the drainage field as there will be inefficient soakage leading to wastewater ponding on the surface.
14. If the Vp is between one and 15, or greater than 100, the regulator should be consulted to identify alternative
options for disposal.

Calculating trench area and trench length
The Vp is used to determine the total floor area of the drainage trenches and therefore the total length of irrigation
drain. For domestic premises, the floor area of the drainage field required may be calculated as follows.
A = p x Vp x 0.25 for septic tanks
Or A = p x Vp x 0.20 for package wastewater treatment plants
(i.e. 20 % less, because the effluent has received additional treatment)

A = required drainage field floor area in square metres (m
2
).
P = number of people served by the tank (for domestic applications this should be the maximum number of people
that could live in the dwelling).
Vp = percolation value.
TDS0005P-02

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The calculated area A should be converted to an amount of linear trench based on the width of the trench which is
usually between 0.3 m to 0.9 m. The layout of the trench network will depend upon the soil porosity and the availability
of land but the legs of the trenches should be connected so as to form complete loops.

Floor area to linear trench length
Linear trench length (in metres) Drainage field floor
area (A) m
2

0.3 m width trench 0.6 m width trench 0.9 m width trench
20 66 33 22
30 100 50 33
40 133 67 44
50 167 83 56
60 200 100 66
70 233 117 78
80 266 134 88
90 300 150 100

Where the calculated result indicates the need for a long drainage trench length (200 metres) serious consideration
should be given to the use of a package treatment system which has been certified to produce a better quality of
effluent. This effluent may, with permission, be fed into a water course or open culvert. Please contact us for further
details. All equipment (for less than <50 pop equivalent) should meet the requirements of their relevant standard, i.e.
EN 12566 part 1 for septic tanks, or EN 12566 part 3 for package treatment plants.

Effluent processed through a treatment plant contains far fewer pollutants and fine solids than that from a septic tank.
Therefore the irrigation system is better protected and less likely to block and is smaller. The standard recognizes this
fact and differentiates. As an example: Irrigation systems for domestic applications


Vp value Population Trench floor area: Septic tank Trench floor area: Treatment Plant
44 6 66 m 53 m
44 8 88 m 71 m
44 10 110 m 88 m

In all cases treated effluent
will have a lower long term impact on the site as less pollutants are discharged
will generate fewer solids thus preserving the life of the irrigation system
requires a smaller irrigation system which is
o less expensive to install & easier to locate on a restricted or poorly draining site.


IRRIGATION SYSTEM DESIGN
Your recommended certified Installer should be consulted regarding the design and fabric of the drainage field for your
specific site. BS 6297: 2007 provides detailed design and installation advice and advises of features influencing the
position of wastewater treatment equipment and drainage fields. e.g. not closer than 7m to a building. Drainage fields
should be a minimum of 10 m away from a water course or ditch. 2m away form site boundaries, away from trees and
plants with extensive root systems, and from existing supply services, access roads and other drainage fields. The
detailed preliminary assessment should have identified other limiting criteria such as water abstraction areas, a Site of
Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) etc.
In brief, after the septic tank or treatment unit, the effluent pipe should be connected to an inspection &/or distribution
chamber which leads to the drainage field. This should be designed as a closed circuit with facilities for inspection and
maintenance. The layout should ensure even distribution throughout the absorption field, avoiding steep gradients on
sloping sites. An inspection chamber at the furthest point from entry on each leg or loop is advisable.
The drainage / sub-surface irrigation system should be very carefully constructed using 110 mm downward facing
perforated pipes laid in trenches with a uniform gradient not steeper than 1:200. The trenches should be between
300mm and 900 mm wide and minimum 1m wide strips of undisturbed ground should be maintained between parallel
trenches. The pipes should be laid on a 200- 300 mm layer of clean gravel granular fill material graded either 16-
32mm or 20-50mm. The trenches should be filled with the same material to a level 50mm above the pipe and covered
with geotextile material to prevent the entry of silt. The remainder of the trench can be filled with normal soil. Pipes
should be laid at a minimum depth of 200mm below the surface. Corrugated pipes designed specifically for land
drainage should not be used.