Design of Septic tank

Dr Girija.T.R,
Department of Civil Engineering,
School of Technology,
Assam DonBosco University
• Design a Septic tank for a hostel housing 125 persons. Also design the soil absorption system
for the disposal of septic tank effluent assuming the percolation rate as 20 minutes /cm.Peak
discharge for 125 persons is equal to 300 lpm.Assume sludge withdrawal once in a year.
Solution:
From the design specification:
Surface area required = 0.92 𝑚2 for every 10 lpm peak flow rate.
Capacity for Sludge digestion = 0.032 𝑚3 /capita
Storage of sludge and scum = 7.3 𝑚3 /100 persons for a cleaning interval of 1 year
Design of Septic tank:Peak discharge = 300 lpm
0.92
Surface area of tank @0.92 𝑚2 for every 10 lpm = × 300 = 27.6 𝑚2
10
Assume Depth of sedimentation =0.3 m ; Provide free board of 0.3 m; Total Volume of the tank :
1. for sedimentation = 27.6x0.3 =8.28 𝑚3
2.for digestion = 0.032x125 =4 𝑚3
7.3
3.For sludge storage = x125 =9.125 𝑚3
100
4.Free board
(including provision for seed sludge) =27.6x0.3 =8.28 𝑚3
Total(1+2+3) =29.685 𝑚3 contd
 𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 29.685
Total Depth of tank = = = 1.076 𝑚
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 27.6
Provide a Depth of 1.1 m .
Keep L/B ratio 2.5
Area =LxB = 2.5xBxB =27.6 ; from which B=3.32
Keep B = 3.4 m ; L = 2.5x3.4 =8.5 m
Hence tank dimensions are 8.5 mx3.4 mx1.1 m
Design of Absorption system
The total subsurface soil area required for the soak pits or dispersion
trenches is given by:
Q = 130 /√𝑡; where Q is the maximum rate of effluent application in
lpd/𝑚2 of the leaching surface.
t = standard percolation rate for the soil , in minutes /cm
 here t = 20 min/cm
Q = 130 20 = 581 lpd/𝑚2
Total sewage flow per day = 300 l/min = 300 x60x24 =432000 litres/day
Total sewage flow per day 432000
Total trench area required = = = 743.54 𝑚2
𝑚𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 581

Assume the width of trench as 1m length as 30 m spacing between the trenches as 2m .

No of trenches required = 743.54/(30x1)=24.78.
Provide 25 trenches with 31 m length and 1m width . With spacing as 2m ,
Total land area required = 25 x31 x3 =2325 𝑚2
Percolation area =25x31x1 =775 𝑚2
Details of septic tank and the soil absorption system are shown
in the next slides