Leak field - Level or gradient

[SimonTown]

Hi,

Having decided to replace my septic tank soakway (backing up) with a leach field in accordance with the advice on this excellent site, I have a couple of further questions?

1. What gradient if any should the closed system be laid on? or indeed should this be level?

2. What bedding material should be used?

3. The flexible pipes look very easy to install, but are they more likely to become blocked over time?

My main concern is having done the perc. test, and installed the system, not to find the exercise has failed, or fails in a short period of time!

Thanks for the excellent site!

Regards


Simon

[TheRobster]

Don't know much about leach fields myself but looks like there's plenty of information available on the Internet:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?....d&meta=

http://www.google.co.uk/search?....h&meta=

[Tony McC]

1 - almost any gradient will do: as long as there is some fall, gravity will do the rest. Ideally, I'd aim for 1:100, but I wouldn;t lose any sleep over a fall of, say, 1:200

2 - clean gravel - 10mm or thereabouts. NOT limestone

3 - some will become blocked, but it will take decades before there is any real deterioration in performance.

[SimonTown]

Thanks Tony,

Just need to undertake perc. test and will post results!

Regards

Simon