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Original poster

Septic tank water - safe for baby? - posting here for traffic

29 replies

litfire · 26/03/2023 23:00

I'm sorry I'm posting here. I'm hoping there's more of a chance in it being seen.
We've come away - still in the uk with 8 month old baby.
It's a septic water tank they have here.
Is it safe for baby to have this water as drinking water, and also boiled for formula?
I'm looking on Google but there's no clear answers.
Thank you in advance.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 26/03/2023 23:02

Is a septic tank not where waste water goes? You don't drink from it!

ChannelyourinnerElsa · 26/03/2023 23:02

Are you sure you have that correct? The septic tank is the waste system surely? Not the drinking water….

HRTeatime · 26/03/2023 23:02

A septic tank just collects used water, instead of it going down the main public drains system it goes into a septic tank.

Throwncrumbs · 26/03/2023 23:03

A septic tank is for waste water, if you live rural mostly. Tap water is fine

GrazingSheep · 26/03/2023 23:03

Toilets empty into a septic tank. You don’t get drinking water from it.

Wenfy · 26/03/2023 23:04

It depends on a number of things including how often it is serviced. I personally wouldn’t risk it.

Lockheart · 26/03/2023 23:05

If you are not sure then just buy some bottled water and use that.

If you need the water now, go to your nearest 24-hour petrol station or supermarket.

ChannelyourinnerElsa · 26/03/2023 23:05

@Wenfy what do you mean? You don’t drink from the sewage system? It’s completely
separate and sealed off to the mains water supply?

ALLIS0N · 26/03/2023 23:05

Babies ( and other humans and animals ) definitely cannot drink water from a septic tank Grin

Honeyroar · 26/03/2023 23:06

Yes a septic tank is a put into which sewerage runs. Did you mean the water is spring/well water? It should be perfectly drinkable. Presumably it has the appropriate filters or tests, particularly if it’s a holiday let. If you’re worried use bottle?

dementedpixie · 26/03/2023 23:06

Wenfy · 26/03/2023 23:04

It depends on a number of things including how often it is serviced. I personally wouldn’t risk it.

Wouldn't risk what?
Drinking water doesn't come from a septic tank. It's where waste water drains to after flushing your toilet or running your washing machine, etc

ThinWomansBrain · 26/03/2023 23:06

a septic tank is for the waste - you get vast rural areas that all have this arrangement - be a bit weird if no one living there had children/babies.
You have to be careful about what cleaning chemicals you use.

Littlewhitecat · 26/03/2023 23:07

You have a septic tank if a property isn't connected to the sewer - it has nothing to do with drinking water. Is the property connected to mains water?

Spiderysenses · 26/03/2023 23:09

Septic tank is for waste water and sewage, nothing to do with drinking water . Water will either come from the mains, spring or a bore hole.

GneissWork · 26/03/2023 23:09

ALLIS0N · 26/03/2023 23:05

Babies ( and other humans and animals ) definitely cannot drink water from a septic tank Grin

I mean … what could possibly go wrong? 😂

Original poster
litfire · 26/03/2023 23:09

I'm not sure if I've got it wrong then? They told us it's a septic tank so not to put anything other than loo roll down the toilet.

Then in the handbook it says that the water comes from a natural springs on the fell side above is. It's filtered several times per day and sanitised using UV light before supplying the taps so it might be a little yellow (which it is) so I thought that was connected to the septic tank!
Obviously not then..... 😂🙈

So will this water be safe for the baby to drink? If it's from the fell side? Sorry if I sound really stupid. I just get so paranoid sometimes.

OP posts:
ChannelyourinnerElsa · 26/03/2023 23:09

ThinWomansBrain · 26/03/2023 23:06

a septic tank is for the waste - you get vast rural areas that all have this arrangement - be a bit weird if no one living there had children/babies.
You have to be careful about what cleaning chemicals you use.

300k-500k homes in the U.K. have these systems, I can confirm you are quite correct, we do indeed have babies in these properties!

Midlander01 · 26/03/2023 23:10

The septic tank is for waste water - please don't drink it! Also, don't put anything other than the 3 Ps down the loo (pee, poo and paper) and don't use bleach. Or you'll block/wreck the tank.

If the tap water comes from a private supply rather than mains, it will be filtered and tested annually by the local authority - this is a legal requirement for any let property.

How do you think thousands of people who live in rural areas and who aren't on mains water survive?

kindlyensure · 26/03/2023 23:10

Do you mean a bore hole? Some can have a higher concentration of nitrates but that would be really more of a problem over a long period for a newborn.

It will likely have a filter at source or on the tap? It will be fine for a holiday. (Unless you really mean septic tank, in which case no one should be drinking it!)

ChannelyourinnerElsa · 26/03/2023 23:11

litfire · 26/03/2023 23:09

I'm not sure if I've got it wrong then? They told us it's a septic tank so not to put anything other than loo roll down the toilet.

Then in the handbook it says that the water comes from a natural springs on the fell side above is. It's filtered several times per day and sanitised using UV light before supplying the taps so it might be a little yellow (which it is) so I thought that was connected to the septic tank!
Obviously not then..... 😂🙈

So will this water be safe for the baby to drink? If it's from the fell side? Sorry if I sound really stupid. I just get so paranoid sometimes.

That literally tells you then where the water comes from, it’s not from the septic tank.

i think its fine, but you could boil it if you were concerned.

Honeyroar · 26/03/2023 23:11

litfire · 26/03/2023 23:09

I'm not sure if I've got it wrong then? They told us it's a septic tank so not to put anything other than loo roll down the toilet.

Then in the handbook it says that the water comes from a natural springs on the fell side above is. It's filtered several times per day and sanitised using UV light before supplying the taps so it might be a little yellow (which it is) so I thought that was connected to the septic tank!
Obviously not then..... 😂🙈

So will this water be safe for the baby to drink? If it's from the fell side? Sorry if I sound really stupid. I just get so paranoid sometimes.

Ah, so it’s spring water. It sounds like it’s got a good set up for filtering and should be perfectly fine to drink.

Sapphire387 · 26/03/2023 23:12

Just boil the water if it worries you?

dementedpixie · 26/03/2023 23:12

So it runs from the springs through your taps and ends up in the septic tank.

BlessedKali · 26/03/2023 23:12

Yes the water will be fine, better than mains tap water with its chlorine, floruide and hormones!

Boil it if ur worried.

Littlewhitecat · 26/03/2023 23:13

It's a treated private supply so should be fine, but if you have any concerns boil it first.