Changes to the emptying intervals for property septic tanks and closed tanks
The Kolmenkierto Waste Management Board has announced that the maximum permitted interval between emptying septic tanks and cesspits at holiday homes has been extended to three years.
The Waste Management Board has updated the waste management regulations for its area. Changes have been made to the maximum permitted emptying intervals for septic tanks and closed tanks.
Slurry tanks at permanent residential properties must still be emptied at least once a year.
For holiday homes, the emptying interval has changed. Under the new regulations, the sludge tank of a holiday home may be emptied at least once every three years. Previously, the tank had to be emptied at least once a year.
– Although waste management regulations allow for longer emptying intervals for holiday homes, residents must ensure that the sewage system is functioning properly, reminds Martta Kantele, Head of Waste Management.
A longer permitted interval between emptying does not mean that the tank should always be emptied less frequently. Settling tanks, in particular, should be emptied frequently enough to ensure that the wastewater system functions as intended.
If the sludge tank is not emptied regularly, a thick, hardened layer may form on the sludge. This can disrupt the normal flow of water in the tank and cause problems with the operation of the sewage system.
Wastewater is typically channelled into a septic tank or a closed tank if a residential property is not connected to the mains drainage system. In the Kolmenkierron area, residents arrange for their tanks to be emptied by a transport company of their own choosing. The sludge is transported to a sewage treatment works for treatment.
The Kolmenkierto Waste Management Board is the waste management authority for 13 municipalities in southern Finland. Tuusula is one of Kolmenkierto’s member municipalities.
This content has been translated using AI