At 1. Plant a variety of leafy vegetation to collect rainfall. Follow these 6 simple steps to install soakaway crates – both quickly and correctly: Step 1 – Create space. As sodium salts are leached through the soil, some sodium remains bound to clay particles—displacing other cations. Study criteria. Country. Crates measures 800x500x540mm = 0. Like a trench drain, a swale is a surface water drainage device. Friday 4th March 2022. Best garden drainage systems in a nutshell. For instance, a septic tank soakaway can become blocked: As a result of dip pipe or baffle issues in the septic tank. The condensate pipework may terminate above or below ground level. #15. This. Drainage trenches can be particularly useful in clay soils which are easily compacted. Soakaway Issues. A trial pit is excavated with an excavator to represent the soakaway and we use the time taken for the water level to fall from 75% to 25% is used to calculate the Soil Infiltration Rate (m/sec) enabling soakaway design to be undertaken. Clay soil is sticky and forms thick lumps when it gets wet; Clay soil can become rock-hard in dry conditions; Clay soil does not absorb water quickly leading to stagnation; Clay soil is significantly harder to cultivate as compared to other soil types; Clay soil warms quite slowly during spring but can retain more heat during winter. How deep should a soakaway be? The Perforated pipe should be laid at a minimum depth of 200mm and a maximum depth of 700mm. A soakaway may well be pointless in heavy clay and therefore your only other option would be to run the water off the surface and round a corner to a bed or lawn etc, depending on the surface area being drained this may not be suitable but for a small drive it would probably be ok. It behaves like lignin (decomposed wood cellulose). I started to dig a soakaway pit, only to find four different colours of clay. Pre-settled effluent from a collection and storage/treatment or (semi-) centralized treatment technology is discharged to the underground chamber from which it infiltrates into the surrounding soil. In order to get a chamomile lawn established, you’ll need to remove the grass. at least 5 metres from a building or 2. We are on clay soil but there is no combined or rainwater drainage in the road. To avoid water collecting in the soak away leaking into and damaging the foundations, The soakaway should be situated at least 5m away from any building. We evaluated the effects of various alternative farming practices that can be adopted in otherwise conventional farming systems [32–34]. 0m can become difficult and more expensive to build. However, the groundworks have revealed that the site is almost all heavy clay and shale. Soak Away Testing. It does not rot. septic tank soakaway clay soil - septic tank soakaway clay soilyour septic tank and soakaway in clay soil?Are you installaing. grading. Smart Living Transform Your Home with These Cutting-Edge GadgetsFinally, cover up the surface with at least 100mm of soil or sub base then lay your turf or alternative surface back on top. if your ground is relatively free draining then building control will insist upon a soakaway if practical. Coffee husk ash (CHA) is a solid waste obtained by the processing of coffee beans on a farm or factory. The first step in designing a soakaway is to conduct a percolation test. The size of fly ash particles is commonly larger than the clay particles, thus the addition of fly ash changes the grain size distribution of the clay and reduces the liquid limit. How to deal with surface water on clay or high water table site. 25 Mar 2015. Refill the hole and time how long the water takes to seep away from the 75% point to the 25% point (this is 150mm). The average pH value in natural organic soil amendments ranges from 6. Available in modular units for increased capacity. After (just recently) reading to manufactures instructions concerning the soakaway its states it need needs to be. Mix the perlite into the soil you already loosened. I have a building which sits on top of clay ground so I couldn't soak away the grey water. As an aid, mark a stick 300mm from one end, place in the hole and fill up to the mark. The first thing to consider when choosing a suitable site for a soakaway is the water table. Your soak-away trench will need to slope away from the garden and be at least 2 feet wide and 2 feet deep. A soakaway crate is used as part of a full drainage system in areas that experience high levels of surface water or run-off. 5 litres to fill a volume of this size. Don't forget it's not just the hole, it's the soil removal into a skip plus new pipework run to the downpipe (min 4m from any building). 8m deep. Accommodates between 4 to 25 people. bark as final layer. The condensate pipe goes strait in to the ground right next to my. Soil Type. Use a loose, organic-rich soil when building berms to enhance drainage. 15 Sep 2021. Kent. If your clay soil could use a boost of organic material, use. A soakaway is best installed away from the house, but it may only last a few years. This can be an expensive and arduous effort but is generally fool proof and really the only option if you are trying to grow on pure clay. you can go as close as is practical to the hedge. Dig a series of parallel trenches every 3-6m across the garden, sloping towards the ditch or soakaway. Because your soil is clay a traditional rubble filled hole will not be an adequate soakaway. Vermiculite aerates soil well if used together. W. Make it level. Soils are often considered sodic when the amount of sodium impacts soil structure. When it comes to the hardcore infill, it should totally surround the pipe and rise to around 100mm above it. All postwar housing is supposed to have the rainwater directed to soakaways to reduce load on the sewerage system. The test procedure is outlined here. Where the new driveway is small, if the existing garden is not water logged it should be acceptable to allow the water to soak into the ground. Kaolinite clay soil, with a chemical formula of Al2Si2O5 (OH)4, has a low shrink-swell ability and is. This video shows a soakaway drilled in clay in a garden in High Lane we had also dug Land drains in a flooded garden 5. * You can't stop it raining, * You can't pipe it out of the garden. 9. If using manure, spread to an 8 cm (3") thickness. We don't have a surface water sewer, only foul. 30 Jul 2005. Will a soakaway work in clay. The tank to soakaway outlet is generally 300-700mm below ground level, so we suggest carrying out the percolation test at this level in the subsoil. WaterloggedThe Ground Conditions and soil type. Country. BS6297:1983 requires that septic tank soakaway trenches should only be constructed where there is at least 1 metre of soil between the soakaway and the water table at all times. Whereas if the soil is very sandy with a high infiltration rate, you can install a small soakaway. Has anyone any plans for a soak-away. I explored solutions like leechfield,soakaway,cement ring well but all fails in clay ground. Finding alternatives to natural resources is important for a sustainable future and is essential to infrastructure projects. To work, it must extend below the clay and be at least 1. Start by digging the standard 1m x 1m x 1m trench, increasing the size if necessary,. 15 Nov 2017. This is measured below the pipe invert so you' generally dig 1. Use a loose, organic-rich soil when building berms to enhance drainage. A deep bore soakaway is a special type of rainwater soakaway consisting of a conventional chamber and a narrow bore perforated liner extending to the infiltration medium. The pipes or chambers are laid in trenches or gravel beds and covered with soil, ensuring proper drainage and permeability. If you can't connect into the flood water system and the garden soil is mostly clay, another option to disperse water is to install a pump and sump system. This option is super popular for crafty hydroponic gardeners on a budget. The rate of this silting depends on several factor but principally the following. Because of the poor porosity, soakaways frequently fail within the first 5 years of operation because the air gaps in the soakaways become clogged with the high amounts of suspended particles in the effluent, which. soakaway. This closes the pores and fissures at the excavation interface leading to. 45 mm. General Binding Rules ·Instead, it carries soil, pet waste, fertilizer, salt, oil and other pollutants into rivers, lakes and ponds. This is particularly the case where space is lacking and the soakaway size must be minimised. Clay soils can be difficult for roots to penetrate, and can be very hard for gardeners to cultivate. Please contact BlockBusters Drainage and Plumbing Services on. 2m deep it's still surrounded by clay and after yesterday's heavy rainfall this is what it now looks like:soakaway to be considered. A soakaway can be left open, filled with small stone or river rock, or filled with rock and then covered with a layer of sod or soil. The liquid limit of the soil was 51%, and the plastic limit of the soil was 36. * The soakaway fills up so isn't big enough. In doing so, it will add to its ease of cultivation. Once the back, side and top is covered with 150mm of pea shingle, then you can add the top soil – usually a minimum of 400mm. Turkey grit is ground granite. clay or rock). Crates measures 800x500x540mm = 0. While we recommend your groundworker conducts a soil percolation test and creates a set of calculations, there is an alternative method that will give you a rough idea of the soakaway size you’ll need: If your soil type is not too heavy/clay, you can assume that one crate (1000mm L x 500mm W x 400mm H) will be sufficient for ten sq metres of. Topography, soil characteristics and composition of the effluent should be examined. Plus, a cut pool noodle can help to improve drainage in hydroponic systems. clay or rock). Country. Similarly some silts are also largely unsuitable, though this depends on the particle size. And that’s just one example of how different soil types can affect land. changed your discharge from surface water to ground. A soakaway system is an online system whereby all storm water flows into the crate structure and infiltrates into the surrounding ground as and when saturation allows, until the crate structure is completely empty. Digging in a 1m3 soakaway using a soakaway crate near the centre back of the garden (at least 5m away from the house and 2. I'm trying to come up with a. It's also soft rather than scratchy underfoot, unlike edible thyme varieties. All soakaway systems need to be at least 5 metres away from your property; if the areas surrounding your property don't span more than 5 metres you can't install one, and you must consider alternatives. This option is super popular for crafty hydroponic gardeners on a budget. Peat moss is a great first choice as an alternative to soil. If you hit a layer of clay before reaching the required depth, simply make the soak away longer to make up for the lack of depth. Be careful if you are using a rotavator, it's likely to bounce off the compacted clay until you get the hang of it. It may also not be successful if you have a high water table. If the sediments entering the soakaway are the same size or larger than the pores in the infiltration medium then the sediments do not significantly affect the infiltration rate through the soakaway. Dig a series of parallel trenches every 3-6m across the garden, sloping towards the ditch or soakaway. A lot of sites say that adding sand to clay soils means the clay aggregates around the sand and sets like concrete. Alternatives for Heavy Clay Soil. The side drains join the main drain at a 45 degrees angle and are spaced at 10 ft intervals for clay soil and 25 ft intervals for loamy soil. Manage the Moisture Using Berms. Due to its nature, vermiculite prevents mould. Soak pits are appropriate for rural and semi-urban settlements. How to Perform the Percolation Test Calculations: V = The amount of time in seconds for the water in the test hole to drop by 1mm. 20 for sewage treatment units. Three types of samples viz. Perlite is an excellent amendment for clay soil when you want to increase the drainage and aeration of the soil. The two determining factors for soakaway success are the size of the area (or volume of water) to be drained and the percolation rate of the soil/sub-soil. Freeman II, in Advances in Agronomy, 2019 3. 5 driveway drainage solutions for your front yard. Quote 2 involves lifting sections of a driveway and path, installing the soakaway to a deeper level to bypass the clay soil and finishing off by re-laying the sections of the driveway. Country. 2. Area (A) = V x P x 0. Fill the hole up to about 100mm (4in) of the top with. water in and out but stopping soil. Digging in a french drain with perforated pipe along the side of the garden. Well if you have a shallow clay cap on an otherwise free dining soil that might well work. Soakaway crates · June 30, 2020 · · June 30, 2020 ·newcastle phill. 29 Apr 2020. If you end up building a soakaway over or in heavy clay or clay soils, you’ll actually end up with a pond due to the non-porous properties of heavy clay and clay soils. Clay soil, constantly wet from a soakaway will become a quagmire and make the feild close to unusable for much of the year. 1. Discussion. Think of those rings of raised soil you create to hold in moisture around thirsty crops such as tomato plants at watering time. Or. Choose driveway surfaces that allow water to flow. The Infiltration Rate of Soils also tends to decrease over time. That said & having read the main site & some of the forum posts, I have some questions about soakaway alternatives for our garden. Step 2 – Prepare the crates. Your soakaway should be at least one cubic metre, and be below the bottom of the feeder pipe. (c) Soil Investigation for Septic System Design & Installation Approval. In Australia, a soakwell is a large underground plastic or concrete tank that connects to your roof drainage system. Without proper garden drainage solutions, timber decking can be prone to rot, the likelihood of mold is increased, and the shape and finish of the structure can become distorted. It takes approximately 5. The most commonly used in the industry is: Soakaway Volume = Area x (Rainfall Rate/3000) For a standard 60m2 roof or driveway in the UK the calculation would be: 60m2 x (50mm/3000) = 1m3 volume This means you would require 5 of our CORE Water Crates to create a 1m3 soakaway. In clay soil, the effectiveness of a. When a soakaway has blocked and flooded we can attend your property and provide a report. 2) and the highest in algae (pH ≈ 9. Water-loving plants like swamp milkweed ( Asclepias incarnata; pictured) or cardinal flower ( Lobelia cardinalis) both beautify and improve poorly draining areas. If it is practical dig off the top soil, double dig incorporating the grit (I would avoid sand totally) and long manure. This material holds water very well and is easy to find at any local garden store. They put plastic based fences all the way round and laid turf. Hiya We noticed a lot of standing water after moderate rainfall in the centre of the garden so I lifted the patio flags and it was sitting water on quite heavy clay soil/builders sand mixture. Does anyone have any experience of creating a miracle soakaway. 4. 24 30 1. To compensate for the lower structural support capacity of clay soils, permeable pavements often need greater subbase depth—which also adds storage volume to compensate for the lower infiltration rate of the clay subgrade. If you are hoping to create a soakaway to alleviate waterlogging in a garden, you may well be disappointed by what follows. Answered By: Cameron Gray Date:. Materials that compost quickly include well-rotted manure, leaf mold, and green plants. Full Drainage Design Suite. All clay soils become easier to work with if you add organic material. The porosity is so bad that they often fail within the first 5 years as their air spaces become filled with the high levels of suspended solids, often above. orAlternatives to Soakaway - Clay issue. Vegetation – Dense vegetation on a rural surface can intercept and store a significant amount of rainfall, thereby reducing the catchment runoff. Cheaper but less effective methods include soakaway areas, soil aeration and changing the soil composition. As a result the risk of water affecting the soilsSoakaway systems are a commonly relied on solution for dealing with standing surface water, as they enable you to channel rainwater from your drainage system into buried soakawayAs a result, it’s generally not recommended for use in leach fields. Includes 3 side panels and 1 cover. Swale. But must clay soils are quite deep. Country. Put 2cm of soil in a large jar filled with water, screw on the lid and shake. how quickly the water will soak into the soil around the soakaway. Furthermore, expanding clay soils with a COLE value greater than 0. Because of the poor porosity, soakaways frequently fail within the first 5 years of operation because the air gaps in the soakaways become clogged with the high amounts of suspended particles in the effluent, which. Clay is extremely dense and there aren’t large enough gaps between the particles in the soil to allow liquid to pass through. * Get connected to the surface water drains used by the neighbours. See full list on gardendoctor. 3 Improve drainage in heavy soil. Dig a series of parallel trenches every 3-6m across the garden, sloping towards the ditch or soakaway. The size of the soakaway should be a minimum of 1m x 1m x 1m below the bottom of the incoming pipe. Then refill the hole with clean aggregate (40mm or larger), allowing for at least 300mm of top soil. Getting it emptied pronto might just prevent any permanent damage. Required storage volume in the soakaway, SSoil organic carbon dynamics: Impact of land use changes and management practices: A review. LeadFarmer said: Soakaways in clay soil just become ponds. Where digging is required, it is traditional in wet regions to dig clay into narrow ridges to. How a French Drain Works - in Clay Soil. 8m deep. #1. Soakaways in impermeable soils are unlikely to function because they just fill up with water, so an alternative method of disposal is required. Here is a statement from Trent Water: Mound systems work well as alternatives to septic tanks when the soil around your home or building is too dense or too shallow or when the water table is too high. The two determining factors. Settlement of the Made Ground could result in settlement of the inlet pipe into the soakaway, opening of joints and water leakage. 5m deep in a lower part of your garden and preferably at the bottom of a slope. Tin Soldier; 13 Feb 2017; Building; 2. This is most common if the membrane is broken, the crates are the wrong size or capacity, or the pipes have. Free call for quote on. The resulting calculation will give you. This excess water will eventually soak into the ground well. wcavanagh; 10 Jan 2017; Building; Replies 8 Views 5K. A soakaway is basically a deep hole filled with rubble. Common soil types are detailed in the table below. Request PDF | Soil and clay stabilization with calcium- and non-calcium-based additives: A state-of-the-art review of challenges, approaches and techniques | Soil stabilization is a technique to. 3. Therefore it is a concentrated point source of water in the ground and the height of these types of soakaways means that water also flows out sideways. Step 2. option 2. As well as the back and side fill, a layer is also required on top of the soakaway crate, before the hole can be re-covered with soil and any other finishing. It’s most commonly used as an alternative to perlite for its. 3 Improve drainage in heavy soil. Generally a soakaway built on non clay soil to take and disperse water from a gravel French drain system draining a 120 m2. If that isn't possible, you can discharge the rainwater into a sewer, although you will need to get permission from the water company first and they will charge you a yearly fee. To work out what size soakaway is required for your property, use the method below to. A soakaway will be successful depending on the surrounding soil and so for example if it is to be built in a area that contains lots of clay then it may not work so well. Install decking with rainfall in mind. Reaction score. Ideally you prefer a soakaway rate of 1 x 10-5m/s in order to achieve the half emptying time1. uk; Order In Next To Get It On Sep 14A soakaway works by encouraging rainwater to flow quickly through the soil into a hole or pit created. Fill around the sides and top of crate soakaways with a good, compact layer of sand or gravel, before backfilling with soil. As a broad brush a Soakaway Size of 1m³ is sufficient to drain a roof area of approximately 50 square metres under normal conditions. Chapter 3 1994 8. NB: Due to size constraints, developments in urban areas are sometimes not large enough to use a soakaway. 50m from water abstraction points, boreholes, springs. This is best done using shingle or sand, which needs at least 6 inches to be placed around the sides as well as on the top of your crates, before (for gardens) at least another six inches of any soil which was removed to make space for the crates is added back on top and. Dig Out the SiteDig out a 600mm x 600mm patch of ground, about 3-4 inch below the height of your grass. The ideal garden drainage solution depends on. The excavation can proceed in a similar manner to any deep drainage excavation. We have heavy clay soil so the soakaway gets full and floods in heavy rain. Digging it in and mixing it with a shovel is a great way to do this, as it moves a lot of earth without pulverizing the soil particles the way tilling can. - Dispose of wastewater in a soakaway pit, an evapotranspiration area or an irrigated garden (see relevent technical briefs). 4. DON'T install a soakaway in heavy clay soil, the water cannot drain through. Heavy soil, rich in clay, tends to drain poorly, so your waterlogging problem may affect the whole garden. For example my grandfather’s garden and 5 acre orchard was next to a a clay quarry. Full drainage design suite (50% Discount) including 7 spreadsheets; Soakaways built in Clay Soils need to be carefully designed in order to operate effectively due to the low infiltration rate of most clay soils. g. 4: Till in Amendments the Right Way. This is best done using shingle or sand, which needs at least 6 inches to be placed around the sides as well as on the top of your crates, before (for gardens) at least another six inches of any soil which was removed to make space for the crates is added back on top and. If compacting is inevitable, the next best thing is to amend the soil with compost, gypsum, wood chunks, and mulch. Soil that is mixed with peat is much less dense. If so, consider installing a drainage system, as long as you have somewhere for the water to go (a ditch, drain or soakaway, for example) Often there’s no easy way to shed excess water. Heavy soil, rich in clay, tends to drain poorly, so your waterlogging problem may affect the whole garden. Two soil samples representing the surface soil and underlying soil were also collected from nearby recreational park at Nerima ward, Tokyo. Get your septic tank or treatment plant emptied - ok, so this might be the only easy solution, but it might just do the job. The volume of water being put into the soakaway: If a soakaway can't handle the water quickly enough then it will silt up at the bottom and eventually the sides will collapse. surface soil, underlying soil, (depth > 1. They are also referred to as dry wells, soak wells or soak pits in other countries, but in the UK are known as soakaways. Safe-T-Sorb (STS) from Tractor Supply. In clay soil, the effectiveness of a soakaway can vary. 06 (i. As you can see from the pictures, it looks like clay and certainly acts like clay. Always cover the soakaway crates with a geotextile membrane to maintain the performance of the system. Some clay soils will achieve virtually zero infiltration and in these soils a soakaway will not be practical. ComponentsSimilarly,how do you make a soakaway in clay soil uk? A soakaway is basically a deep hole filled with rubble. 2 metres from a boundary. allow the garden. We can also deal with your insurance company directly on your behalf at no extra cost to you. G1758, Rain Garden Design for Homeowners, describes how to estimate whether your soil meets this limit. Dig a series of parallel trenches every 3-6m across the garden, sloping towards the ditch or soakaway. Ground where water soaks away too quickly (e. Again though, not sure if these would likely just fill with water like a pond and leave puddles in the garden and how effect the water would feed into them. Digging in a 1m3 soakaway using a soakaway crate near the center back of the garden (at least 5m away from the house and 2. This enables aerobic contact between the effluent and the drainage stone and soil particles. In many cases, sites with a high water table or a heavy clay content will also not be suitable. 8 Feb 2014. Working with a qualified septic system designer or installer (+1 877-851-7125) can help ensure that. Sort By: Default Product Name Price Low-High Price High-Low Best Selling Latest Per Page: 24 48 96 ALLThe Good and the Bad of Clay Soil Of all the different soil types (sand, clay, silt), clay soil is made up of the smallest and densest particles. I dug a channel out and have begun to dig a soakaway in the corner of the garden and am down about 1 metre so far, just gone past blue clay. The pre-fabricated soakaway system offers an alternative to gravel when installing a French drain garden drainage system. Infiltrator Water Technologies is a market leader within the onsite wastewater treatment industry, Infiltrator manufactures a variety of revolutionary products and innovative, environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional stone and pipe leachfield and concrete septic wastewater system components. When designing a leach field for clay soils, it’s important to take several factors into consideration, including the soil’s texture, structure, and drainage capabilities. The downpipe runs vertically from the fascia for. The test procedure is outlined here. orOThe most common size of soakaway for residential use is 1 Cubic Metre (1m³), as this is what most Local Authorities seem to specify. For example, clay soils exhibit both of these problematic characteristics. Typically developments situated on soils with a high clay content tend not to be. Water-loving plants like swamp milkweed ( Asclepias incarnata; pictured) or cardinal flower ( Lobelia cardinalis) both beautify and improve poorly draining areas. Step 1. A soakaway is basically a deep hole filled with rubble. If your London property is built on heavy soil or clay-based soil, then a soakaway won’t be an effective choice. As sodium salts are leached through the soil, some sodium remains bound to clay particles—displacing other cations. Peat Moss. The correct fabric for wrapping soakaway crates is a high-quality, non-woven geotextile, such as Draintex from the Product That Works range of professional landscaping products. Determining the optimum size for a soakaway can be a complex iterative calculation including many factors such as location, soil types, size and shape, maintenance etc. The presence of clay and silt within sands and gravels can severely impact the permeability of the soil – a complication often not considered if the majority of the soil is permeable. As long as the. It should be noted that soakaways rarely work on heavy clay soils. In a septic system waste is separated into three layers with one layer being treated and leaving the tank, as you can see in the diagram below. Beauty Advent calendars are significantly pricier than chocolate ones, but they've become increasingly popular in the last few years as a way of bagging beauty products at a fraction of the normal cost. Here are 10 products to slow or stop that harmful runoff. The slope of the apron (1%) should fall to a drainage channel leading to a soakaway pit, an irrigated garden or a cattle drinking trough (see corresponding briefs). 1: Aerate Clay Soil for Better Plant Growth. Be sure not to overdo it with peat moss as it is important to add sand or perlite when using peat moss for it. A Soakaway must be at least 5 metres from any habitable building, by local authority regulations. So yes soakaways can work perfectly well in clay. Turface. Dig the test hole vertically to the proper depth. Stage 5 – Cover the crates. For this purpose, soil (n = 2), “soakaway” sediment deposited in the artificial infiltration facilities (AIF) (n = 4), and road dust (n = 2) were sampled from Tokyo metropolitan. If the water clears within half an hour, you have adequate amounts of gypsum. it may mean deeper than standard foundations particularly if you have clay soil. K-Rod; 2 Sep 2013; In the Garden; Replies 2 Views 1K. Due to its nature, vermiculite prevents mould. Rainwater harvesting systems will usually have an overflow to a soakaway or drain. orSee more of Soakaway Worms on Facebook. This, as well as some other planning around your soakaway construction, will make the job much easier for you – preventing a mistake that could be time-consuming to remedy. It is lightweight and easy to work with, and it has a high water-holding capacity. You need to find out from the BCO if he is requiring you to connect to the surface water drain before going any further. water in and out but stopping soil. 5m away from any boundary. Mainly, pore spaces facilitate the availability and movement. The ideal garden drainage solution depends. An online system. The soakaway must be a minimum of; 5m away from your building 5m away from a road 2. (3–6 oz per square yard). Step 2 – Prepare the crates. Can be used independently or as part of a larger system to collect and detain stormwater, allowing for groundwater recharge. Constructing a soakaway. it may mean deeper than standard foundations particularly if you have clay soil. dustmaker said: building regulations state that a new soak a way has to be at least 5. Don't spill your soil. Percolation test procedure for surface water soakaways. Reply OP Posts Only. The percolation test calculations for soakaway installation are as follows: Area (A) = V x P x 0. 2. A soakaway is essentially a point feature; it does not have a channel. Replies 20 Views 40K. A soakaway should be placed deep enough in the ground to reach well-draining soil. Step 4 – Hook up to the drainage system. In addition, gravel helps to provide stability, reducing issues such as erosion. We reconnected it and paid for a soakaway to be installed as it seemed to just end in the ground. Soakaways are used to manage surface water at its source, and serve as an alternative option to draining off surface water via a stream or sewer system. This is a more complex project, and the extra costs reflect the difficulty in lifting sections of a driveway and the deeper hole. This year, for the first time in about 40 years my parents garden flooded. The addition of organic matter is preferred to adding. septic tank soakaway clay soil - septic tank soakaway.