Septic tanks / soak aways, Conservancy tanks and Packaged plants in Noordhoek

Septic tanks / soak aways, Conservancy tanks and Packaged plants in Noordhoek

May 2026, v9

Schematic of a septic tank and soak away. Source: http://www.instagram.com/p/B86MCarFfsT/

IMPORTANT UPDATE (May 2026):

IMPORTANT UPDATE (September 2024):

NRPA urges owners of septic and conservancy tanks to check the pumped volume on the slip of the honeysucker. In the event that the amount is significantly higher than what you should expect (based on the volume of your system x fee) we advise you to sign the slip “under protest”, take a picture of the slip and send an email with your complaint to the ward councillor (patricia.francke@capetown.gov.za) with a copy to the NRPA (civic@nrpa.org.za). Mention the size of your system and copy the picture of the slip. Landlords should inform their tenants!

INTRODUCTION

As NRPA we are noticing quite a few residents struggling with their Septic and Conservancy Tank systems – requesting repetitive and frequent visit of the Council “honeysucker”. As these are systems that residents are maybe not that familiar with, we would like to share some knowledge on the topic. For more detailed information on the functioning and design of these systems please read the document in the footnotes.

Who has a septic/conservancy tank in Noordhoek?

All residents living below Noordhoek Main Road (as well as some living above it) who are not connected to the municipal (water borne) sewage system have a septic tank and soak away. Some residents that have done recent construction may have put in a “conservation tank” – essentially a holding tank without any outlet.

Your building plans will indicate what kind of a system you have and where it is located.

Figure 1 The area in Noordhoek that is not connected
to the Municipal waterborne sewage system is marked in brown.

What is a septic tank system?

As shown in the figure above the septic tank system is made up of 2 components:

What is a conservancy tank?

When Council deems that a septic tank is not permitted, but water borne sewage is not available, conservancy tanks or packaged plants will have been installed. These are essentially storage tanks without an outlet, which means they must be emptied regularly. Septic tanks are no longer allowed in new builds, although existing (approved) systems can still be replaced.

What is a packaged plant?

Since May 2026 Council now also allows the installation of packaged plants as alternative to conservancy tanks. They are essentially small scale, modular waste water treatment plants, suitable for household grey and black water, which treat the effluent to a level that allows it to be re-used for irrigation. There are multiple providers of packaged plants active in the SA market (some mentioned below) and their cost is comparable to a septic tank / soak away combination or conservancy tank (R100k for a 4 person household).

Cases where CoCT can mandate conservancy tanks or packaged plants:

What are common problems with septic tank systems?

• • prevent chemicals entering the septic tank.
  • use bio-friendly cleaning products. Check the ingredients in the products you use – especially on your toilet cleaning and household disinfectant products. You can get away with little amounts of bleach as long as the rest of your system is in good health
  • add septic tank bio-culture to the tank from time to time. In the good old days a new septic tank culture was started with an animal carcass thrown in before closing up

Solution:

• • install a grease trap before the septic tank and clean it regularly
  • inspect your septic tank from time to time to remove insoluble matter
  • no grease trap? Wipe down all greasy pots, plates and pans with paper towel to remove all grease before washing, and throw into the bin (not the recycling!)
  • do not flush anything down the toilet that does not dissolve in water
  • don’t use fancy 3 ply toilet paper that does not dissolve
  • 3. You pamper your bacteria and don’t clog the system with grease and insoluble matter, but the system still blocks up. This could be due to a variety of reasons:
  • tree roots have found their way into your system and are blocking piping
  • your soak away could have collapsed (this should be visible above ground)
  • you are using an excessive amount of water that the soak away cannot handle. This can also happen if rain or ground water somehow enters the soak away
  • the piping between house – septic tank – soak away have not been installed properly

How frequently do I need to empty my septic tank?

There are essentially 2 reasons why you would want to empty your septic tank:

There are residents who have not touched their septic tanks in decades, proving that a good system does not require much maintenance. There is, however, always some sludge build-upin the compartments, so in the end all septic systems need to be cleaned out at some point.

Generally, if you are faced with a sudden overflow (not a gradual decrease in capacity) this means there is a blockage of some kind. Sucking the septic tank empty will not solve the root cause of your problem and more troubleshooting must be done with a plumber.

If you are faced with repetitive overflows then this generally means that your soak away is no longer functioning properly. It will need to be opened and inspected by a plumber. If your soak away needs to be replaced you could consider installing a packaged plant instead, which has a smaller footprint and gives you the option of reusing the effluent for irrigation.

If I have a septic tank system then why do I still see a sewage levy on my municipal rates bill?

No, CoCT should not be charging you a sewage levy if you are not connected to the municipal sewer. If they are charging you, you should lodge a complaint with Council through the ward councillor.

What are common problems with conservancy tanks?

Conservancy tanks are more simple. If they overflow (earlier than you expected) there are only 3 possible reasons:

How frequently do I need to empty my conservancy tank?

If you have a conservation tank this does not treat your sewage. It must regularly be cleaned.CoCT no longer cleans conservancy tanks free of charge (used to be 6 times per year for free). You can apply using the instructions on the last page.

Once you know the size of your tank it is possible to estimate when it will be full by monitoring your water consumption. Make sure to request a tank cleaning at least 1 week before it will be full. Instructions below.

What to keep in mind in the event of a new build:

1. Build the septic/conservancy tank/packaged plant max 30 meters from the place that the honeysucker can access. If your tank is further away the truck will not have enough capacity to suck your tank empty and CoCT will resort to sourcing a larger truck (which will take longer to organize – expect delays!)
2. Make sure to install inspection hatches that are accessible when needed. At the very least make sure you know where the hatches are if they are underground. Conservancy tanks must be accessible by design (see document in footnote on previous page)
3. Consider installing a grease trap – it will save problems with blocking up pipes and soak aways. Only really needed for the kitchen sink
4. Draining washing and dishwashing machines requires the capacity of the septic and conservancy tank to be increased, so consider installing a grey water system or a separate soak away because of the detergents being used
5. Make sure that rainwater does not enter your septic or conservancy tank

How do I get my system cleaned and do I need to pay for this?

You can apply to have your septic or conservancy tank cleaned by CoCT through their portal https://eservices1.capetown.gov.za/coct/wapl/zsreq_app/index.html?

1. Choose ​“Create service request”,
2. then Group: ​“Sewer”
3. and Service: ​“Empty Septic Tank”.
4. Under Describe Request indicate:

Make sure that you correctly state your address and mobile phone number!

After finalising the service request you will be sent a service request number, which you must use if you are following up. You can call the depot on the following numbers after logging a request and only if CoCT has not reached out to you within 24 hours!

It is best to call in the morning before trucks are planned in. If repetitive follow up does not work then you may reach out to civic@nrpa.org.za stating your case and service request number.

Do NOT overstate the urgency of your problem or abuse the contacts above as it will result in problems for others in future!

If you do not want to log a request online you can also use the CoCT call centre 0860 103 089, SMS 31373, Whatsapp: 060 018 1505 or Email: water@capetown.gov.za to log a request.

Note: You are NO LONGER entitled to free tank cleanings by CoCT (used to be 6 times per year for free until July 1st 2023). The fee for cleaning for the period 1/7/23 – 30/6/24 is R279.20 (incl VAT) per 1000 litres. It is updated annually by Council.

Unfortunately, CoCT is sometimes slow to react, and in the event of a system backup residents have resorted to paying for companies to come and empty their septic tanks for a fee.