Best not look at this one!

Look away if you are eating and stop reading.

The people we bought the house from were told they didn’t need to do anything to the septic tank. They took this literally; in 12 years it was not emptied.

It took over 45 minutes to loosen the four bolts on each of the tank covers. This included shovelling off earth and ornamental stones; removing bricks from a path that was built over part of one of the covers and copious amounts of WD40 on the bolts to loosen them.

This is what happens after 12 years. About 8 feet down is the bottom of the tank. We know that because somehow the tanker driver managed to empty it.

Not a pleasant image but it does sum up the day.

Yesterday's is much nicer

PS yes it did smell.

PPS a job for the summer - I have to check the soak away isn’t blocked. Yuk