DRAIN FIELD DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION / SOLUTIONS

FOR WATER LOGGED AREAS / PLUMBING BEST PRACTISE /

IMPORTANCE OF EARTHWORMS IN DIGESTERS
By
Ing. Nana Osei K. Mainoo
Correct Plumbing and Engineering Services Limited
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. The Drain field;
2. How to conduct a Percolation Test;
3. Sizing a drain field (based on Percolation Test
Results);
4. Solutions/remedies for effluent treatment in
waterlogged areas;
5. Plumbing techniques for wastewater including best
practices;
6. Earthworms and the digester;
WHAT IS A DRAIN FIELD?
Method of subsurface (below ground) wastewater treatment &
disposal;

Governed by BS 6297:2007;

In BS 6297 it works in combination with Septic Tank and distribution box

to make Septic System;
In Ghana Soak Away most prevalent, instead of drain fields;
Per BS 6297, soak away should only be used for rain water disposal;;
 HOW DO DRAIN FIELDS TREAT SEPTIC EFFLUENT?
INFILTRATION ZONE
 Top 50cm of soil
 Biologically active zone UNSATURATED ZONE
 Microbial communities builds up within pipe • Below infiltration zone;
and surrounding trench media • Transition between
infiltration and saturated
zone;
SATURATED ZONE
• Provides storage for
• Dispersion / diffusion of effluent;
effluent;
• Pathway for oxygen
• Dilution diffusion into effluent
IMPORTANT ITEMS TO NOTE
 Drain fields do not operate indefinitely, eventually
need to be replaced;
 Fats oils and greases cannot enter a drain field –
will shorten lifespan;
 Drain field effectiveness to disperse effluent
influenced by ground water table, soil
characteristics and moisture content;
 Detailed site investigations necessary;
 This Endeavour requires planning and
organization;
 Percolation Test (BS 6297)
A percolation test (colloquially called a perc test) is a test to determine the water absorption rate of soil (that is, its capacity for
percolation) in preparation for the building of a septic drain field (leach field) or infiltration basin.

REQUIRED TOOLS AND MATERIALS

 Shovel / Spade
 Pick Axe
 Measuring stick
 Measuring tape
 Chippings
 Water source
 PPE
IMPORTANCE OF SITE INVESTIGATIONS
Without site investigations, especially percolation test,
problems arise with installations because;
Drain fields do not work because
of poor site investigation;
FLOODED DIGESTER
DEMONSTRATION
 SITE INVESTIGATIONS (per BS 6297:2007)
 Has to meet requirements of regulatory bodies i.e. Ghana EPA, MSWR, MMDAs and GOG etc.;
 Must consider soil characteristics;

DESCRIPTION BEST PRACTISE

Proximity to water body i.e. well, borehole, springs, streams, water courses 50 m
Proximity to buildings 10 m
Site boundary 2m
Site topography and practicalities Avoid valleys and low points
Water supply pipes Should not be located within disposal area
Access roads, driveways and pavements Should not be located within disposal area
Power supply cables Should not be located within disposal area
Other drainage fields and rain water soak aways Should not be located within disposal area
Additional considerations Access for desludging;
Space for future expansion;
VISUAL SITE INSPECTION

 Water table information from previous records (flood risk?)

 Plants as drainage indicators
 Other factors
Percolation Test (Trial Hole)

 Dig trial hole adjacent to potential drain field;

 1m × 1m hole should be dug or bored to 1.5 m below the proposed pipe invert
level;
 Remove all loose material from the hole;
 Cover to protect from rain fall
 Leave open for a period to determine ground water level;
 Textual descriptions or photographs of the soil should be recorded;
 Where soil conditions are variable further trial holes should be dug;
Percolation Test (BS 6297)

 Three percolation test holes should be located over the areas to be tested;
 1m × 1m hole should be dug or bored to the proposed depth (min 0.3 m) and another hole dug 0.3m x 0.3m x 1m
depth below the proposed pipe invert level;
 Remove all loose material from the hole;
 Add 50 mm of coarse gravel to protect the bottom from scouring;
 Carefully fill each hole with water to 300mm above the gravel and allow to seep away completely;
 If the water seeps away in 10 minutes the hole should be refilled max 10 times. If the water continues to seep away, the
area is not suitable;
 If the water has not soaked away in 6 hours, the area is not suitable;
 Percolation Test (BS 6297)

 Measure percolation rate by refilling each hole with water

to a depth of 300 mm and observe the time in seconds for
the water to seep from 75% (225mm) to 25% (75mm);
 Divide this time is seconds by 150mm, providing the
average time in seconds for 1mm drop;
 Repeat the test at least three times in each hole;
Percolation Test (results analysis)
Elapsed Time Vp (s/mm)
Hole No. Test Date Test No. Start Time Finish Time Hours Minutes Seconds Seconds divided by 150mm
14-Mar 1 8:00 9:12 1:12 72 4320 29
14-Mar 2 9:30 10:54 1:24 84 5040 34
14-Mar 3 11:15 12:55 1:40 100 6000 40
1 Average Vp 34

Elapsed Time Vp (s/mm)

14-Mar 1 8:00 10:30 2:30 150 9000 60
14-Mar 2 10:45 13:48 3:03 183 10980 73
14-Mar 3 14:00 17:55 3:55 235 14100 94
2 Average Vp 76

Elapsed Time Vp (s/mm)

14-Mar 1 8:00 13:30 5:30 330 19800 132
14-Mar 2 13:45 19:12 5:27 327 19620 131
15-Mar 3 8:00 13:45 5:45 345 20700 138
3 Average Vp 134

If 15 ≤ V p ≤ 100 Then drain field is possible

Percolation Test (Calculating Trench Area)
A = p ×V p × 0.25 For Septic Tanks

A = p ×V p × 0.20 For Packaged Waste Water Treatment Plants

A = p ×V p × 0.043 For Digester Effluent (approximation)

A – required drainage field floor area;

p – number of people served;
Vp – percolation value
 Percolation Test (Calculating Trench Area)
Hole Vp (s/mm) Area (m2)
1 34 51
2 76 114
3 134 200
Constructing Drain fields
 Excavate trenches to required dimension (length,
breath and depth);
 Spread chippings in trenches to adequate thickness and
levels or fall;
 Lay slotted pipes on chipping to the required direction
of flow and fall;
 Spread another layer of chippings over the surface of
the pipes;
 Cover the surface of the chippings with soil to grade;
 Grass over the drain field area to prevent erosion;
DECISION TOOLS
DECISION TOOLS
DECISION TOOLS
What to do when Drainage Field not possible!!
PROBLEMS!!
Alternative remedies will be required when:
 Bad soils: building sites with soils of very low or high percolation rates or no soil
percolation;
 Failed septic systems: sites where an existing septic system has failed and there is
limited space or other constraints on septic system repair
 Rocky building sites or sites with bedrock and not enough topsoil to treat and
dispose of wastewater.
 Small building sites which lack adequate space to install a conventional septic drain
field;
 Steep building sites which do not permit installation of a conventional drain field;
 Wet building sites with high groundwater or subject to surface runoff (that cannot
be fully diverted);
SOLUTIONS FOR WATERLOGGED AREAS – Microflush
and dry compost toilets

Vol per flush – 0.15 L

Can be coupled with

Ecological Sanitation i.e.
separating faeces from urine
SOLUTIONS FOR WATERLOGGED AREAS –
commercial solutions
 SOLUTIONS FOR WATERLOGGED AREAS
Description Advantages Disadvantages Suppliers

Micro-flush toilets Small foot print Not pour flush toilets Various SPIs
Moderate treatment Not always trapped
performance Proprietary flap mechanism

Dry compost toilets Small foot print Not pour flush toilets Various suppliers
Moderate treatment Nuisance insects
performance

Passive aerobic tank Small foot print Expensive Duraplast

systems Moderate treatment Limited capacity (12 persons) Interplast
performance

Hydroponic / Small foot print Expensive Biofilcom

macrophyte reactors Good treatment Electro-mechanical
performance components

Re-circulating Small foot print Expensive Biofilcom

trickling filter Good treatment Electro-mechanical Correct Plumbing and Engineering
systems performance components
 Plumbing for wastewater
Angle Valve & Flexible tube

Traps

Back flow Preventer

WC
Y Tee Straight tee
Basin

Clean Out
Swept Tee
WC Fixation Screws WC adaptors
 WHAT IS A VERMIFILTER?
(also vermi-digester)
 Aerobic treatment system;
 Biological reactor containing media that
filters organic material from wastewater;
 Media provides habitat for aerobic microbes
and composting earthworms;
 Used for sewage treatment, agro-industrial
wastewater treatment and some industrial
wastewater treatment;
 VERMIFILTRATION PROGRAMS AROUND THE GLOBE

USA
Vermicomposting
in 1920s
China

Liberia India
(Oxfam) (Oxfam)

Uganda (Oxfam)

GHANA
Chile (1992) Australia
(Biofilcom)

South Africa
 EARTHWORMS AND THE VERMI-DIGESTER
 Earthworm body works like a biofilter;
 Grind, aerate and crush the faecal sludge, prepare material
for microbes to degrade the sludge;
 increasing the total surface area, which enhances the ability
to adsorb organic and inorganic from waste water;
 WHAT HAPPENS IN DIGESTERS WITH NO WORMS
 Poor performance in removal of contaminants;
 Poor volume reduction of fecal material;
 Poor media porosity;
 macro organism environment dominated by nuisance
species;

Above will lead to:

 Odors in digesters;
 Poor drainage in digesters; Unhappy
 Digesters flooding; =
customers;
VERMI-DIGESTERS WITH WORMS
 IMPORTANT VERMIFITRATION PARAMETERS
Earthworm Species;
 Eudrilus Eugeniae (African Night Crawler)
 Eisenia Fetida (California Red Wiggler)

Stocking Density
 Ideal - 10,000 worms per m3, can start with 1,500 worms per
m3

Hydraulic Loading Rate

 Range – 0.97 – 2.5 (m3/day)/m2 .can start with 1,500 worms
per m3

Specialization
 Eisenia Fetida better for scenarios for periodic flooding;
 WHEN TO SEED THE DIGESTER
 After 1 week of use.

 Why? Media needs to be moist, indicating right conditions

for microbial and earthworm activity;
QUESTIONS