It’s not all champagne sunsets and designer deckchairs along the Whale Coast. At Wine & Whales, we like to keep things real, which means occasionally shining a light on the less glamorous plumbing realities of our beautiful region.
One of those realities is that not every area is connected to a water-borne sewerage system. Some sections of older suburbs such as Fisherhaven, Kleinmond and parts of Vermont, as well as areas further along the coast like Franskraal, Kleinbaai and Pearly Beach, rely on something called a conservancy tank. If that term makes you smile politely and nod, don’t worry. Read on.
A conservancy tank, unlike a French drain, is a sealed, watertight underground container that stores all wastewater from a property, both black and grey water, when there is no municipal sewer connection. In simpler terms, everything you flush, rinse or drain ends up in a very patient underground vault that keeps careful score.
Most conservancy tanks are constructed from reinforced concrete and typically have a capacity of around 5 000 to 6 000 litres. Building one requires municipal approval as part of the building plans, and the design must include an accessible suction point, usually positioned near the property boundary, so that municipal tanker trucks can remove the contents without entering the property. Practical, efficient, and considerably kinder on the driveway.
Because of this setup, homeowners need to be mindful about what goes down the drain and keep an eye on the tank’s capacity. When it starts getting full, it’s the owner’s responsibility to arrange an emptying through the municipality by quoting their account number and booking the service. You can also arrange with the municipality whether you pay per call-out or a fixed rate for the service per month. Keep in mind that during the rainy winter months, tanks can fill up surprisingly quickly, so scheduling an emptying in advance is usually the wisest move.
For more local insights, property guidance and honest, real-world advice (the pretty and the practical), keep an eye on this site for genuinely useful information.