Why cesspools in East Sussex fill faster than owners expect, from groundwater and rainwater to undersized tanks and lets, and how to find and fix the cause.
At KP Cesspool Services, a complaint we hear a lot from cesspool owners in East Sussex is that the tank fills faster than it used to, or faster than it should. It is rarely imagination. A cesspool has no outlet, so every litre that goes in has to come back out on a tanker, and on East Sussex ground a surprising amount of that water may not come from the house at all. This guide goes through the usual causes, how to tell which one is yours, and what fixes it. When you do need us, our scheduled cesspool emptying covers the county.
What a normal fill rate looks like
Most cesspools need emptying every four to eight weeks, depending on the size of the tank and the household. A couple with a modern tank of the minimum size, 18,000 litres, should get close to the top of that range. If you are emptying every two or three weeks, something is adding water. How often does a cesspool need emptying in Kent shows the arithmetic, and it works the same way here.
Groundwater getting into the tank
This is the most common cause on East Sussex ground, and the one owners least suspect. Much of the county sits on clay, and the low ground of the Pevensey Levels, the Brede valley and the levels around Rye holds water close to the surface through the winter. An older brick or concrete cesspool with a cracked wall or a failed joint lets that groundwater seep in. The tank fills with clean water on top of the waste, and you pay to have it tankered away.
The giveaway is the season. A tank that lasts six weeks in August and three in January is almost certainly taking water in. We look for it while the tank is empty, because watching water run in through a joint settles the question.
Rainwater in the foul drain
On older properties, downpipes, yard gullies and driveway drains were sometimes connected to the same pipe as the toilets. Every time it rains, the roof sends its water into the cesspool. A single downpipe from a modest roof can deliver a great deal of water in a heavy shower.
The sign is a tank that jumps after rain rather than climbing steadily through a wet season. We can trace where the gullies and downpipes actually go. Rainwater belongs in a soakaway or a surface water drain, never in a cesspool.
Leaks inside the house
A toilet cistern that never quite stops running or a dripping outside tap can add hundreds of litres a day without anyone noticing. Listen to each toilet after it has refilled, and check the outside taps and any water softener or filter that flushes to drain. These are the cheapest causes to fix and often the most overlooked.
A tank that is simply too small
Plenty of cesspools in East Sussex were built for a cottage with two people in it and a fraction of today's water use. Add a family, a dishwasher and a second bathroom, and an old tank that was adequate for decades fills in a fortnight. If the tank is well below the modern minimum of 18,000 litres for two people plus 6,800 for each extra person, more frequent emptying is the honest consequence. What size cesspool do I need helps you work out where yours stands.
Lets, guests and summer peaks
On the coast and in the villages behind it, many properties are holiday lets or second homes. A full house for a week can fill a tank sized for two in no time. If yours is let, plan the empties around the bookings, and tell guests not to run the washing machine every day.
How to find out which it is
Start with the pattern. Steady and fast all year points to the house or the tank size. Fast in winter and slower in summer points to groundwater. Jumping after rain points to rainwater in the drains. Then check for leaks in the house, and have us look inside the tank while it is empty. Between them, those checks find the cause in most cases.
Fixing it
Each cause has its own fix. A leaking cistern costs a few pounds. A downpipe can be redirected to a soakaway. A tank letting in groundwater can sometimes be repaired, but an old brick tank that leaks in will usually leak out as well, and it may be better replaced. A tank that is too small for the household can only be replaced with a bigger one. Our new tank installations page covers the options, including whether your ground would take something other than a cesspool.
Getting it looked at
Our cesspool services across East Sussex cover the county from the coast to the High Weald. KP Cesspool Services has over twenty years' experience, and you can read our reviews on Checkatrade. Call 01233 720725, email kpcesspoolservices@hotmail.com, or contact us and tell us how often you are emptying now.
Need a hand with yours?
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