Choosing biodegradable biodigesters as a solid waste solution is a fantastic step towards sustainable waste management.
However, there’s a crucial recommendation you absolutely need to know to ensure its effectiveness and your peace of mind.
And that is to always construct a separate soakaway for your kitchen and bathroom wastewater, distinct from your biodigester’s system.
Learn how to construct a biodigester in a challenging area.
Many homeowners are initially hesitant about having multiple soakaways, expressing concerns about having “plenty of soakaways in their compound.”
However, this isn’t just a suggestion; it’s the safest and most effective approach for proper waste management.
In fact, even with traditional septic tanks, you’re typically advised to direct kitchen wastewater to a separate soakaway attached to the septic tank.
The core reason for this separation lies in the nature of the water sources.
Wastewater from toilets is inherently “regulated,” while kitchen and bathroom water are NOT.
Consider a toilet flush: after one flush, there’s a necessary waiting period (around 2-3 minutes) for the cistern to refill before it can be flushed again.
This natural regulation allows the biodigester time to separate water from human waste, letting the water go into the soakaway before the next flush arrives.
In stark contrast, bath taps or sink taps lack this regulation.
If a tap is accidentally left open, water will flow continuously and unregulated into the soakaway.
This continuous, unrestricted flow is problematic because it will overflow the sink or the tank and then cause a whole lot of problems in your backyard, ultimately rendering your soakaway ineffective.
The main principle behind biodigesters’ effectiveness is the separation of water from human waste.
When you introduce unregulated water volumes, you disrupt this critical process.
While some prospective clients might express concerns that a separate soakaway will increase their initial construction costs, it’s truly a small price to pay for a reliable and effective waste management system.
Opting for this safer option upfront is far better than facing issues later, where an ineffective digester leads to complaints and the false perception that biodigesters don’t work.
For kitchen and bathroom water that needs a continuous flow, an alternative recommendation is to direct it into a gutter or use an overflow tank that connects pipes into the gutter.
The key takeaway here is…for biodigester construction, always insist on a separate soakaway for your kitchen and bathroom wastewater.
This simple yet critical step ensures you have the peace of mind that you will need in terms of your toilet wastewater management.
What do you think? Let me know of your experience.
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