Septic systems are designed to recycle the wastewater produced in your property back to the environment. The septic tank forms a critical aspect of the sewage system. Your septic tank should be properly installed, regularly cleaned and maintained for it to function at its optimal level. If not, it can pose a considerable risk to your health, the environment, and your property. We are bringing you all you need to know about septic tank cleaning service in Nigeria


IMPORTANCE OF EVACUATING YOUR SEPTIC
If your septic system is not pumped, cleaned and maintained properly, it can cause various issues:

The most obvious issue is the inconvenience of backed-up plumbing. An unpleasant, smelly plumbing problem can also become an additional expense.

Improper care of your septic system can cause them to fail, which in turn can contribute to harmful wastewater going into wells, groundwater, and local habitats.

It can pose a health risk for people, livestock, and wildlife and become a severe issue. Local lakes, rivers, or other recreational areas are also polluted and rendered unusable and unsafe.

Apart from posing a health threat, a failing septic system is expensive and decreases property value.

IS YOUR SEPTIC FULL?
NeatFlow.NG ensures that your septic is functioning well and efficiently by offering professional soak away cleaning in Nigeria covering major cities like Lagos, Abuja, Awka, Onitsha, Port harcourt, Kano etc.

Chat on 08188400001

HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR SEPTIC IS FULL
Knowing when you have a full septic tank takes more than just calling out a few leaks here and there around your house. You need to take extra measures to inspect your septic system to ensure that you’re not confusing a drainage problem for a filled-up tank.

1. A Slow Drain:
When you flush the toilet, is it taking longer than usual for your drains to move (slow drains)? Sluggish drains are one of the earlier indicators of a septic issue. Try using a septic-friendly drain cleaner. If that does not change anything and you notice everything is still draining slowly, chances are your septic tank is full.

2. Bad Odor from the Sewer
An overfilled septic system carries a pungent smell that comes as a result of the organic waste that washes into the tank. For many, the smell comes off as ‘rotten eggs’ and can choke the living daylight out of you…

3. Frequent Backups into the House
This is one of the less-pleasant and most obvious signs proving your waste tank is probably full. You’ll start noticing sewer backups in some of your house drains – more so, the lower-placed ones.

4. More Grass or Vegetation Around Your Septic
One thing that we tend to overlook about septic waste (because of its foul smell) is that it’s also very rich in organic nutrients. Yes – the same kind needed by plants and many vegetation to ensure that they have a steady, healthy growth.

5. Water Pooling on Your Yard
Water will start accumulating around your septic tank when the waste level exceeds the pit’s capacity.

COST OF SEPTIC TANK EVACUATION IN NIGERIA
The cost to empty a septic tank is usually priced between N45,000 to N90,000. The price varies depending on the size of the septic tank and the time it will take to both empty and clean it.

The main factors involved in pricing the emptying of a septic tank are:

The size
The size of the septic tank will determine how many trips will be involved. So if a trip is N50,000 but the truck needs to go twice it becomes N100,000. It can be negotiated down if more than one trip. It is important to know the size of the truck because that will determine if one trip would be enough. The size of the tank is determined mostly by the property’s needs and the amount of solids being produced. A larger property will naturally house a larger septic tank to cope with the amount of waste, which means the cost will be at the higher end of the scale.

Truck Size
As mentioned above trucks come in different sizes. There are 6,000L, 10,000Litres, 15,000L etc. The size of the truck determines cost for those who understand. So two different vendors may give you 2 different rates find out the size of their truck. Don't just go for the cheaper one because it may end up going twice thereby making the charge to double

The ease of access
To empty a septic tank, clear access must be made for the tanker to be able to get close enough so that the vacuum hose can reach the bottom of the tank. This is why septic tanks are recommended to be installed within 30 metres of an access point so that emptying is less of an issue.

The location
As is often the case in the property market, the location of your property will have an impact on the cost you pay to empty your septic tank. The cost in VI is not the same as Agege for instance. Another factor that is usually put into consideration is the distance between point of evacuation to place of discharge, the further apart they are, the more expensive


The labour involved
Any costs to empty a septic tank will automatically include the cost of labour. A tank operator is responsible for driving the vehicle, operating it’s machinery, removing the sludge and solids from the tank, emptying and sanitising the tank, and then taking the waste to a point of discharge

To that end, the extent of the labour costs will be entirely dependent on the tank’s size, the property size, the ease of access, and the work involved in emptying the tank.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOUR SOAK AWAY BE DISLODGED?
There are several factors that you must consider when deciding how frequently you need to pump your septic.

These include:

1. Size of the septic tank
2. Amount of sludge in the tank (consider clearing your septic if it’s more than a 1/3 of the tank)
3. Volume of wastewater from your home (more water released means faster filling for the septic)

We recommend scheduling routine septic tank pumping every three to five years.
You may need to have your septic tank pumped more frequently depending on the size of your tank or if you use a garbage disposal.
Not only will this service help keep your septic tank clean and healthy, but can help us detect any issues before they become a major problem. Keeping a schedule can help you determine when your tank needs to be emptied. You may not even see any of the above warning signs if you are able to determine proper emptying intervals.

WHAT IS SEPTIC TANK AND HOW DO THEY WORK?
A septic tank is an underwater sedimentation tank used for waste water treatment through the process of biological decomposition and drainage. A septic tank makes use of natural processes & proven technology to treat wastewater from household plumbing produced by bathrooms, kitchen drains, and laundry. A septic tank system has a relatively simple design. It is an underground watertight container (mostly rectangular or round) made of fibre glass, plastic or concrete.

The Step-by-step Process of How a Septic Tank Works
1. Water from your kitchen, bathroom etc runs through one main drainage pipe leading to your septic tank.

2. Underground the septic tank starts the process of holding the waste water. It needs to hold this long enough so the solids settle down to the bottom, while oil and grease floats to the top.

3. After this process the liquid wastewater (effluent) will then be able to exit the tank into the drain field.

4. This wastewater is discharged through pipes onto porous surfaces. These allow wastewater to filter though the soil.

5. The soil accepts, treats, and disperses wastewater as it percolates through the soil, ultimately discharging to groundwater.

6. Finally, the wastewater percolates into the soil, naturally removing harmful coliform bacteria, viruses and nutrients.