With spring upon us, an expert has offered landscaping tips to help disguise a septic tank in the garden – without causing catastrophic damage to the system.

An estimated three million UK households, mostly in rural settings, use cesspits or septic tanks rather than being connected to the main sewage system.

These systems are usually buried underground but often with visible manhole covers sticking out of the ground.

Maintaining Thousands Of Septic Tanks

Waste management specialist CSG is one of the UK’s largest providers of household sewage services, emptying and maintaining tens of thousands of septic tanks every year.

CSG has released a concise septic tank landscaping advice factsheet with the key dos and don’ts for householders to consider.

Steve Hicks, Operations Director of CSG, said: “There are millions of people in the UK with septic tanks. Generally, they are down the bottom of the garden and mostly buried but they can still be a bit unsightly.

“Fortunately, there are a few simple landscaping tricks homeowners can do themselves to improve the situation.”

Ornamental grass such as pampas, miscanthus or Ophiopogon – or even ordinary grass – is great for covering the area around the tank as it has shallow roots which won’t interfere with the system, while helping prevent soil erosion.

Best Practices

Some ornamental grass will also grow tall enough to create a form of visual barrier, though they do require some maintenance to be kept under control.

Trees and large bushes close to the tank are definitely not a good idea as the roots can cause significant damage, but smaller plants will be fine.

Heavy rocks or boulders should not be placed on the septic tank cover, but lightweight faux rocks are an option.

The tank lid should not be buried or built over, but some people brighten them up with small tiles or even paint.

Whatever design you come up with for your garden, make sure the tank and the inspection hole remain accessible for regular maintenance.”

With more than 650 employees, CSG helps households and organisations by offering a complete variety of services ranging from waste collection through to treatment, recovery and disposal of countless waste streams.

The business has been operational for more than nine decades and has experienced significant growth in recent years.

For more information, visit www.csg.co.uk