Septic Tank
Review: ADP Environmental Services
My house is located in the village of Bollington (Nr Macclesfield) in Cheshire and full marks
go to ADP Environmental Services for installing my replacement Septic Tank.
You get the complete package with ADP. Everything happens like clockwork including
Building Regulations which is processed under the aegis of Private Inspectors and submitted
to the Local Authority on your behalf. Machines and building aggregates arrive on-time;
rubber mats are laid across lawns to avoid digger/dumper track damage; thick plastic
visqueen is similarly laid for concrete delivery and excavation spoil; photographs are taken
at each installation stage; H&S screens are erected around the excavation overnight and
finally; top soil is laid then raked ready for seeding. In short, the whole process is well thought
out and executed. It’s also worth mentioning that use of toilet/shower were not denied
throughout the 4-day decommission and installation – amazing.
I chose ADP because they stood head-n-shoulders above others. This company installs both
commercial and domestic systems and is an accredited installer of leading Sewage
Treatment manufacturers.
My lead to ADP was through their excellent web-site. Using this, I posed the question as to
what they considered was a typical price for replacing a Septic Tank when assuming: a) easy
access, b) an existing/working Drain Field, c) my house location and d) its ample space to
park equipment/materials. Their prompt email reply gave a price that aligned with my
expectation. From that, a site visit was arranged.
The site visit itself was also interesting. ADP was the only company that lifted the heavy
concrete slab to expose the existing/faulty Septic Tank; then lift the smaller concrete slab to
expose the access to the Drain Field. They took height measurements of pipes relative to
ground level. They also investigated where they could source electrical power, should a
Sewage Treatment Works (STW) be used as the replacement. Further, ADP’s written quote
was far more detailed than others. Digger, Dumper, Aggregates, Electrical etc, etc – all
separately listed and priced to form a grand total.
Installers, including ADP tend to push for STW systems as the de facto replacement for failing
Septic Tanks. However, the choice depends on individual circumstances. My original system
was brick built with 3 integrated deep chambers: first, the Septic Tank itself; second, a stone
filter; and third, an inspection pit which housed the output pipe to the Drain Field - located in
farm land adjacent to the property’s border. The original system had worked successfully for
over 70-years and it didn’t require electrical power nor an internal air pump device. My choice
was to deploy a Tricel Vento-6 Septic Tank which incorporates a simple floating filter. Also,
the Vento-6 only requires a very shallow dig. By also retaining the existing filter chamber, the
system now benefits by being double filtered thereby improving Drain Field integrity.
I interviewed 3 companies. The first two were local; one of which was way too expensive and
the second seemed overly confident but with scant evidence of actually doing one of these
jobs! Lastly ADP which, by any marker, scored way above the others. I also toyed with the
idea of doing the installation myself with a friend who has all the mechanical equipment
(diggers etc). However, ADP’s shear experience shone through and the risks did not warrant
the worries of going it alone and thankfully common sense prevailed. Finally, I would not
hesitate to recommend ADP to my neighbours who also depend on somewhat aged systems.