FAQs

The cost of servicing commercial systems will depend on the type, size, location and other special requirements, please contact SSA to discuss specific requirements.

The cost of a residential general service costs between $110 – $125, depending on the location of your property.

SSA offers flexible payment options so have the choice of two types of contracts:

1. Annual Contract
   Pay once, annually. Includes four services – one service every three months. Payment methods available: Cheque, Bank transfer or Credit Card
2. Pay-per-Service Contract
   Pay on completion of each service. We will service your system every three months, ongoing until you tell us to stop! Payment methods available: Credit Card only for this option.

Get in touch to organise your payment options.

Yes. SSA specialises in the installation of commercial systems of all sizes. Please contact SSA to discuss your requirements now!

Some materials simply MUST NOT enter your system, as they will kill off the good bugs that digest the organic matter in the wastewater of your treatment system. These include:

• Bleaching agents
• Antibacterial products and unused medicines^
• Paint, petroleum products or other solvents, strong alkaline and acid
• Storm water from downpipes or rainwater tank overflows
• Backwash water from pools, spa pools or water softeners
• Solid materials such as paper, plastic, sanitary napkins, tampons, condoms, nappies or baby wipes
• Food scraps, fats and oils
• Insecticides, herbicides, pesticides
• Trade waste from commercial or industrial premises

^ Some strong medications, such as blood pressure tablets, chemotherapy and antibiotics, can destroy the natural processes of a wastewater treatment system. These systems may require more regular pump outs and/or maintenance.

If any of the materials listed above enter your system, please contact SSA for advice on what action you may be required to take.

All modern wastewater treatment systems are designed to treat both the grey and black water from your home or business.

To enhance the performance of your system, to maximise its service life and to save money on repairs, please find a guide below on how to best care for your system.

• Ensure your system is properly maintained with regular servicing and pump outs
• Use all cleaning products in moderation
• Use cleaning products that are labelled as ‘biodegradable’ or ‘septic-safe’
• Use low-phosphorus or phosphorus-free detergents. Phosphorus is a major pollutant of waterways and contributes to the growth of algal blooms.
• Use natural or alternative cleaners such as bicarbonate of soda, pure soap, borax, vinegar, lemon juice, cloudy ammonia, where possible
• Use biodegradable toilet paper
• Minimise your water usage as much as possible
• Avoid shock loads of wastewater entering your system (e.g. several loads of washing in quick succession or a large number of people at a party)
• Clean your irrigation filter (if applicable) each fortnight
• Ensure your system is serviced regularly (every 3 months for homes and most businesses)
• Ensure you system is pumped out regularly (typically every 3 years for most homes and each business will have different pump out requirements).

If you are unsure, call SSA now on 1800 800 333.

Details on the general performance of the system; and Recommendations on what the home owner can do to improve the function of the system, including pump out/desludge requirements. What do I need to do in between services to care for my system? There are important things you MUST do to care for your system in between services. These include:

• Clean your irrigation filter (as per manufacturer’s recommendations): This ensures the system is able to discharge the effluent to your irrigation system. It also prolongs the life of your submersible pump.
• Be careful about what household cleaning products you use as these can really affect the performance of your system. For more information, refer to the following questions.

It is important that you choose an accredited service technician to perform the servicing of your wastewater treatment plant.

Servicing should take place every three months and should include (at a minimum):

• Check sludge and scum levels in the primary septic tank (if lids are exposed)
• Check aeration pump for correct operation
• Clean and check aeration equipment
• Clean and flush treatment filters
• Check dissolved oxygen levels
• De-sludge settling chamber/s
• Check control panel, alarms and pumps
• Onsite testing of water quality
• Add chlorine tablets to chlorine dispenser (for surface irrigation only)
• Remove and clean irrigation filter (if applicable)
• Inspect irrigation area
• Complete service report^

Each service report should be provided to you (the customer), as well as your local council, as per council requirements.

Service reports should provide information such as details on the general performance of the system; and recommendations on what you could do to improve the function of the system, including pump out/desludge requirements.

As you use your system over the years, your system will gradually build ‘sludge’, a layer of solids that settle at the bottom of the system and ‘scum’, the layer that floats on top of the primary septic tank, which typically consists of fats, oils and grease.

Desludging (or pumping out) your wastewater treatment plant is essential for the performance of the system.

Your accredited service technician will monitor the sludge and scum levels in your system if lids are accessible and will advise when a pump out is required.

Desludging should take place every three years (on average), however, this depends on how well you maintain your system, as well as the number of people living in your home (i.e. the number and intensity of loads).

If a pump out is required, it should be performed as soon as possible by an accredited liquid waste removal contractor.

A record of the pump out should be provided to your local council as well as your service provider.

There are three key reasons why your wastewater treatment plant requires regular servicing:

1. All wastewater treatment systems are expensive assets. Regular servicing helps to protect this asset and reduce the severity of system faults and the cost of repairs.
2. Regular servicing helps to protect the health of you, your family, your work team and the local waterways.
3. It is a requirement of state and local government authorities that all AWTS are serviced quarterly by an accredited service technician (for more information on this, refer to the excerpt below from EPA Victoria’s Code of Practice).

The Environment Protection Authority Victoria’s Code of Practice for Onsite Wastewater Management states:

“The treatment and irrigation/disposal systems must be operated and maintained in accordance with the conditions in the Council Permit to Install/Alter, the CA, and this Code to ensure that human health and the environment are protected. Where a property is served by a treatment system, it is mandatory that the property owner has a service contract with an accredited and trained service technician who will routinely service and maintain the treatment unit and land application system in accordance with the Permit conditions. Council may fine a property owner under section 53N and Schedule A of the Act for failing to have the treatment system regularly serviced on an ongoing basis in accordance with the conditions on the relevant CA and the Council Septic Tank Permit.”

SSA specialises in the repairs and maintenance of all types of residential and commercial wastewater treatment systems.