SEPTIC TANKS
WE SPECIALISE IN MAINTAINING & CLEANING SEPTIC TANKS
JT Plumbing are Tauranga’s septic tank installation & maintenance specialists.
If your septic tank needs servicing, or you’re experiencing issues needing immediate attention, get in touch today.
New Septic Tanks Installed in Tauranga
Need an environmentally-compliant on-site wastewater treatment system/septic tank for your orchard, farm, home, or new-build? Contact JT Plumbing to discuss your requirements.
JT Plumbing are authorised installers of traditional and advanced septic tanks. These wastewater treatment systems are designed as sustainable, effective solutions for processing and recycling domestic sewage and greywater. We service Tauranga, Mount Maunganui and the wider Bay of Plenty.
Expert Septic Tank Maintenance
JT Plumbing are authorised to service and maintain all septic tanks and on-site effluent treatment systems. We have decades of combined experience with traditional septic systems and modern aerobic wastewater treatment designs.
We also offer scheduled servicing, maintenance and reporting to ensure you fulfil your responsibilities to the council. Contact JT Plumbing to discuss your ongoing septic system servicing requirements.
Experienced & dedicated to quality plumbing services
We can carry out or facilitate everything to provide a new septic system that suits your situation. Enquire now for a no-obligation quote from the septic tank specialists at JT Plumbing.
About Septic Tanks
‘Every drop counts’ when it comes to septic tanks.
A septic tank isn’t just a holding tank, but rather an on-site effluent treatment system. It takes household blackwater (from toilets) and greywater (from kitchens, bathrooms and laundries) and treats it to be discharged, usually into the soil nearby.
The technology behind such a system varies, but most rely on aerobic (aerated/oxygenated) bacteria to break down waste. All septic systems need regular clearing of sludge and scum.
A traditional single-tank septic system roughly separates wastewater into three parts: heavy (solids), light (fats & grease), and mid-depth (mostly water). The mid-depth liquid flows to a large leach field (drain field) of underground aerated pipes where the effluent decomposes in the soil.
A leach field can cover dozens of square metres, and requires an appropriate soil type that doesn’t drain too fast or too slow. They also can’t be too close to any water bore, ‘ephemeral flowpath’ or surface waterbody.
In the right conditions and location, as determined by your Wastewater Engineer, a traditional septic tank can be relatively cheap and effective. JT Plumbing offer installation of both plastic and concrete traditional septic tanks.
Advanced aerobic septic systems, like the Oasis Clearwater below, forcibly add air directly to the tank. Along with staged filtering and some clever automation, this system results in dramatically-cleaner effluent to the point where you can use the output for drip irrigating a mulched ornamental garden, tree stand or bush patch.
Besides being much more effective at treating wastewater, an aerobic septic system has fewer issues with placement. The system doesn’t need an underground leach field to aerate (treat) the effluent, and so there is more freedom with the kinds of land and watercourses that can be nearby. The clear effluent can also be pumped far away for landscape irrigation through drip pipes.
The most effective aerobic effluent treatment systems reduce nitrogen to levels of less than 15 g/m³. Nitrogen can cause ‘algal blooms’ in waterways, smothering animals and creating toxic conditions. Away from waterways this isn’t as much of an issue because plants and trees can use up the excess nitrogen instead.
Bay of Plenty Regulations
Quality Wastewater Solutions for Local Conditions
Bay of Plenty Regional Council has listed a number of ‘Maintenance Zones’ where more-stringent rules apply to ensure the water table, streams, rivers and lakes don’t become contaminated by household effluent. More owner responsibilities and higher effluent discharge quality standards apply in these areas – especially near lakes in Rotorua.
All new On-Site Effluent Treatment (OSET) systems require a wastewater engineer for system design and an OSET Schedule 5 report submission to council. We have a range of reliable connections in the industry. If you choose JT Plumbing for septic system installation we can help organise the engineer and report for you, but we’re also more than happy working with your chosen professionals.
A high-quality, nitrogen-limiting, modern aerobic wastewater treatment system, like the Hynds Advanced Lifestyle, is suitable for all areas of the Bay of Plenty. Your OSET wastewater treatment system designer will ensure technical compliance with council regulations, while the friendly team at JT Plumbing can help with your practical septic tank compliance obligations.
Benefits of an aerobic septic system
Usable (non-potable)
water out for irrigation
More environmentally-
friendly
Compliant with
council regulations
everywhere
Hynds Lifestyle Series
JT Plumbing are approved installers of Hynds Lifestyle on-site effluent treatment systems. The Lifestyle Advanced system is among the few systems that have been approved by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council for use in the Rotorua catchment.
A key measure of their performance is their very low output of nitrogen in the treated effluent. This greatly reduces the Lifestyle Advanced system’s ecological impact and makes it acceptable for use near lakes.
RX Plastics Wastewater Treatment Systems
The AirTech 9000 is one of many septic tank systems in the RX Plastics range. It’s a wastewater treatment plant for rural and lifestyle properties. This system is silent-running, odourless and features enhanced monitoring and alarms.
AirTech safely and effectively processes all household sewage and wastewater,and recycles it as clear, odourless nutrient-enriched water for irrigating landscape, shelterbelt, coppice wood lots, and existing planted areas.
Oasis Clearwater Series Systems
The Oasis Clearwater Series 2000 septic tank is purpose-built for New Zealand conditions. With five stages of settlement and filtration, this system is among the most advanced in its class. Minimal working parts make it especially easy to maintain.
This system is available in both concrete and plastic versions, and at 2.5 x 2.5 x 2.5 m the design is relatively compact.
Frequently asked questions
We recommend six monthly, but this depends on a number of factors – where you are located (according to council zones), the age, design and size of your septic system, and the amount of wastewater it processes. When JT Plumbing installs a new wastewater treatment system, we will provide a manual that notes the recommended service interval for your situation. For many properties servicing is only needed once or twice a year.
Book a service with JT Plumbing for your existing septic tank and we can let you know what’s best for the health, safety and longevity of your system.
Plastic septic systems are cheaper to transport and install because they are a fraction of the weight of concrete systems. Plastic septic tanks are great for properties inaccessible to large trucks. However, plastic tanks’ lightweight construction also means they are naturally less robust.
Ultimately your Wastewater Engineer will specify the right kind of OSET system/septic tank for your location, geology, and usage. Any system installed by JT Plumbing, if properly maintained, can potentially last for decades.
As an example, the Oasis Clearwater Series 2000 system can potentially treat 2000 L of wastewater a day, which is suitable for a household of around 8 people.
Your wastewater treatment system Designer will make sure that any new system is suitable for your property’s requirements. Talk to the friendly team at JT Plumbing today to get the process started.
You will need to engage with an approved System Designer to determine this. Their recommendations will depend on the landscape around, and location of, your property. Some areas and geographies of the Bay of Plenty are excluded from having a traditional system installed, for good reasons.
If it turns out that you have options, there is the worsening risk of drought to consider. Having the option of pumping effluent to irrigate green spaces can mean valuable water savings in the Bay of Plenty dry season.Â
Contact the experts at JT Plumbing about your budget and location and we can talk you through the process.
Before scheduling that next septic tank emptying, take a moment to check if your septic tank actually needs servicing instead of another emptying. Servicing involves a thorough inspection of the system’s components, including pumps, valves, filters, and the overall drainage field. We are proud to say that JT Plumbing specializes in septics. We assess the condition of your septic tank and determine whether a service is all that’s needed to resolve the issue.
However, if your septic is due for an emptying, we will point you in the direction of reliable and affordable companies that offer this service.
JT Plumbing focuses on the overall health and function of septic tanks—servicing, maintenance, repairs, and installations. We love them! We offer a one-time call-out as well as recurring inspection services. We love helping our customers stay ahead of the mess! So, please reach out when your septics are having issues. We would love to be of assistance!
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