Percolation Tests. How to carry them out
1.31. Well drained and well aired subsoils are normally brown, yellow or reddish in colour. illustrations of subsoils with very good percolation traits are sand, gravel, chalk, sandy loam and clay loam. It is essential that the percolation traits are appropriate in each summertime and the winter season situations. poorly drained or saturated subsoils are typically grey or blue in color. Brown and grey mottling usually indicates periodic saturation. examples of subsoils with weak percolation characteristics are sandy clay, silty clay and clay.
1.32 A preliminary evaluation need to be transported out including consultation with the natural environment company and neighborhood authority to establish the suitability of the site. The all-natural vegetation on the site should also give an sign of its suitability for a drainage field. 1.33 A demo hole should be dug to decide the place of the standing groundwater table. The demo hole should be a minimum of 1m2 in area and 2m deep, or a minimum of 1.5m under the invert of the proposed drainage area pipework. The groundwater table should not rise to inside of 1m of the invert level of the proposed liquid-waste distribution pipes. If the test is carried out in summer, the likely winter groundwater levels should be regarded as. A percolation test must then be carried out to evaluate the additional suitability of the proposed area. 1.34 Percolation test method – A hole 300mm square should be excavated to a depth 300mm below the proposed invert level of the liquid-waste distribution pipe. Where deep drains are required the hole should conform to this shape at the bottom, but may be enlarged above the 300mm level to permit protected excavation to be carried out. Where deep excavations are vital a modified test process may be adopted using a 300mm earth auger. Bore the test hole vertically to the appropriate depth taking proper care to remove all loose particles. 1.35 Fill the 300mm square segment of the hole to a depth of atminimum 300mm with water and let it to seep away overnight. 1.36 Next day, refill the test section with water to a depth of at least 300mm and observe the time, in seconds, for the water to seep away from 75% full to 25% full level (i.e. a depth of 150mm). Divide this time by 150. The answer gives the average time in seconds (Vp) required for the water to drop 1mm. 1.37 The test really should be carried out at least three times with at least two trial holes. The typical figure from the tests should be taken. The test really should not be carried out during abnormal weather circumstances such as heavy rain, extreme frost or drought. 1.38 Drainage field disposal need to only be used when percolation tests point out normal values of Vp of between 12 and 100 and the preliminary site evaluation report and trial hole tests have been favourable. This minimal value ensures that untreated effluentare unable to percolate toorapidly into groundwater. Where Vp is outside these limits helpful treatment is not likely to take place in a drainage field. Having said that, provided that an substitute form of secondary treatment is offered to treat the liquid-waste from the septic tanks, it may still be possible to discharge the handled effluent to a soak-a-way. Once you have carried out the test you need to now have a figure between 1 and 100. The size of the soakaway can now be worked out as follows. The Area (A) = Vp X 0.20 for sewage treatment units and The Area (A) = Vp X 0.25 for septic tanks V = the time is seconds for the water in the test hole to drop by 1mm. p = the max. number of individuals that the unitdeveloped to serve The final calculation gives the AREA (A) in square metres. You can now work out the measurement of the soakaway.
