However, the consolidation of the soils is time dependent, delaying construction projects making it a non-feasible alternative. For deeper excavations please seek specialist advice. Follow these 6 simple steps to install soakaway crates – both quickly and correctly: Step 1 – Create space. it may mean deeper than standard foundations particularly if you have clay soil. It is lightweight and easy to work with, and it has a high water-holding capacity. Soil Type. They consist of a perforated pipe surrounded by gravel to facilitate water movement. 9. Some septic system options for expanding clay soils include. Regrading the garden slightly to have the water run down to one side. If the water clears within half an hour, you have adequate amounts of gypsum. Accommodates between 4 to 25 people. Soils are often considered sodic when the amount of sodium impacts soil structure. Will a soakaway work in clay. When it comes to the hardcore infill, it should totally surround the pipe and rise to around 100mm above it. Working with a qualified septic system designer or installer (+1 877-851-7125) can help ensure that. Sort By: Default Product Name Price Low-High Price High-Low Best Selling Latest Per Page: 24 48 96 ALLThe Good and the Bad of Clay Soil Of all the different soil types (sand, clay, silt), clay soil is made up of the smallest and densest particles. To do so, we’d recommend using sand or shingle material. In this video I show you how to construct a soak away and connect a biofil biodegradable waste biodigester for it. Pre fabricated soakaway and trench baskets. #1. Ello, I've been trying to sort out the rainwater drainage at the back of our house. Ello, I've been trying to sort out the rainwater drainage at the back of our house. As an aid, mark a stick 300mm from one end, place in the hole and fill up to the mark. DON’T install a soakaway in heavy clay soil, the water cannot drain through this so it won’t work if this is in your garden. Has anyone used the. A soakaway should be placed deep enough in the ground to reach well-draining soil. As a result the risk of water affecting the soilsSoakaway systems are a commonly relied on solution for dealing with standing surface water, as they enable you to channel rainwater from your drainage system into buried soakawayAs a result, it’s generally not recommended for use in leach fields. J. how to build a soakaway - how to build a soakawayvideo will show you just how easy it is to build a soak. Has anyone any plans for a soak-away. . This year, for the first time in about 40 years my parents garden flooded. if your ground is relatively free draining then building control will insist upon a soakaway if practical. Digging in a french drain with perforated pipe along the side of the garden. Simple to install, with minimum maintenance required. I use it as the inorganic component for most of my bonsai except really large ones. As an aid, mark a stick 300mm from one end, place in the hole and fill up to the mark. Once wetted by winter rains, clay soils often cannot be worked or walked on until mid-spring. To work, it must extend below the clay and be at least 1. Beg some plastic milk or beer bottle crates, wire them together to form a cube, wrap it in horticultural ground cover fabric and bury it in a pit, running a rainwater pipe from the middle of the crates to the outlet of the drainage channel. 3m deep and 1m x 1m. Planting a low-growing variety of thyme can be an excellent alternative to grass. Open bag of clay and add water to surround clay and just cover top surface. 3. 5 driveway drainage solutions for your front yard. Jan 20, 2015. 8m deep. The reasons for septic tank and soakaway drainage field failure 1. Whereas if the soil is very sandy with a high infiltration rate, you can install a small soakaway. s. The water the soakaway collects will drain into the soil below the layer of hard clay. In our first spring season, we noticed the garden was very waterlogged and pestered the builder who eventually installed a soakaway in the garden approx 1 metre from the back of the house. Smart Living Transform Your Home with These Cutting-Edge GadgetsFinally, cover up the surface with at least 100mm of soil or sub base then lay your turf or alternative surface back on top. Where digging is required, it is traditional in wet regions to dig clay into narrow ridges to. If you are hoping to create a soakaway to alleviate waterlogging in a garden, you may well be disappointed by what follows. 3 Improve drainage in heavy soil. orAlternatives to Soakaway - Clay issue. 7 Sep 2013. The Soakaway Design Guide (July 2000) 2. Spread the soil conditioner across the surface and use a garden fork to mix it in. One of the drains at the front of the house leads to a soakaway which was quite old and flooded when the rain came. Staffordshire. The first thing to consider when choosing a suitable site for a soakaway is the water table. With nowhere for the water to go to it just fills up and sits there. Soakaway sediment was collected from an AIF, Nerima ward, Tokyo. That’s unlike other soils with better drainage, like sand and loam. by. Rainwater harvesting systems will usually have an overflow to a soakaway or drain. started a discharge from a septic tank or small sewage treatment plant. Don't forget it's not just the hole, it's the soil removal into a skip plus new pipework run to the downpipe (min 4m from any building). Although they are more expensive and require more maintenance than conventional systems, mound systems are a common alternative. Does a soakaway need emptying?The result is a reduced performance of the septic system, or even system failure, which can cause effluent to pool on the surface. FAQ Blog – Soakaways. The soil particles in the soakaway area filter and treat any remaining waste in the water draining from the septic tank. The clay soil used in this study was composed of mainly kaolinite as determined from the chemical analysis. If using dried seaweed meal, apply 100–200 grams per square meter. Fill your soakaway. In addition, gravel helps to provide stability, reducing issues such as erosion. The first thing to consider when choosing a suitable site for a soakaway is the water table. When used with other mediums, it increases the retention of nutrients. soils that are prone to swelling and shrinking) can cause structural damage to underground septic systems, which may require costly repairs. 2. Soakaways can typically be constructed at any depth between 1. The location of the soakaway is determined based on soil conditions, distance from water sources, and the size of the property. 0m deep. The liquid limit of the soil was 51%, and the plastic limit of the soil was 36. 2. Start by digging the standard 1m x 1m x 1m trench, increasing the size if necessary,. 216m3 Volume Sump pump information on my Sumps and Pumps page A soak pit, also known as a soakaway or leach pit, is a covered, porous-walled chamber that allows water to slowly soak into the ground. Log In. 0 m), and soakaway sediment were used for this study. The porosity is so bad that they often fail within the first 5 years as their air spaces become filled with the high levels of suspended solids, often above. A soakaway is basically a deep hole filled with rubble. General Binding Rules ·Instead, it carries soil, pet waste, fertilizer, salt, oil and other pollutants into rivers, lakes and ponds. You cannot build a soakaway within the constraints of the regulations (i. Add a gradient. And there you have it, a fully installed soak away to take care of your garden drainage issues. land drain and soakaway details sd 8-2-307 march 2020 11 1:20 on a1 9 drawing title: drawing number:. A deep bore soakaway is a special type of rainwater soakaway consisting of a conventional chamber and a narrow bore perforated liner extending to the infiltration medium. While we recommend your groundworker conducts a soil percolation test and creates a set of calculations, there is an alternative method that will give you a rough idea of the soakaway size you’ll need: If your soil type is not too heavy/clay, you can assume that one crate (1000mm L x 500mm W x 400mm H) will be sufficient for ten sq metres of. We can also deal with your insurance company directly on your behalf at no extra cost to you. Yes, adding gravel to clay soil can be beneficial in several ways. A soakaway is essentially a point feature; it does not have a channel. About. A very general rule of thumb is; 1 cubic metre (1 m3) for a 50m2 driveway and 2 cubic metres (2m3. Cheaper but less effective methods include soakaway areas, soil aeration and changing the soil composition. 5 metres from a boundary etc. As an alternative to using gravel consider the prefabricated crates below. This, as well as some other planning around your soakaway construction, will make the job much easier for you – preventing a mistake that could be time-consuming to remedy. Alternatives for Heavy Clay Soil. When the water overflows, it will soak through the decorative stone and into the ground. 6 Porosity. In many cases, sites with a high water table or a heavy clay content will also not be suitable. 1. Dear All, I am trying to resolve an issue with an existing soakway in the front garden at my residential property in the UK. Backfill the hole so the crates are secured. Step 2 – Prepare the crates. If a soakaway isn't viable due to ground conditions then surface water drain is the next consideration. 1. Some soils, such as heavy clay soils, will not work with this kind of drainage. Two soil samples representing the surface soil and underlying soil were also collected from nearby recreational park at Nerima ward, Tokyo. A soakaway is part of the Sustainable Drainage Design. 7 Mar 2015. 10,580 posts. A soakaway system is an online system whereby all storm water flows into the crate structure and infiltrates into the surrounding ground as and when saturation allows, until the crate structure is completely empty. I've done some research since posting the above, and its clear that particularly with heavy clay soil, I need to dig a trial pit to make sure the ground is porous enough and the water table low enough to make a soakaway practical. connect condensate discharge pipe to the soil pipe or mains drainage. #4 goes a long way to confirming my thoughts. Log In. It takes approximately 5. 2m x 1. Excess sodium (salt coming from detergents such as washing. A soakaway is something you can build yourself, but there are a couple of things to be aware of before you get underway. Generally a soakaway built on non clay soil to take and disperse water from a gravel French drain system draining a 120 m2. Nature of the soil and its effect on the soakaway drainage field performance It is impossible to soak effluent away into a clay or clay-based soil in a normal soakaway drainage field. 24” diameter x 28. Full drainage design suite (50% Discount) including 7 spreadsheets; Soakaways built in Clay Soils need to be carefully designed in order to operate effectively due to the low infiltration rate of most clay soils. 5m and 7. SITE ASSESSMENT: The key factor in the potential use of a drainage field is the suitability of the ground. How deep should a soakaway be in clay soil? A soakaway is basically a deep hole filled with rubble. Dig. In order to get a chamomile lawn established, you’ll need to remove the grass. The size of the soakaway should be a minimum of 1m x 1m x 1m below the bottom of the incoming pipe. 3. They can’t tolerate competition very well. g. Digging with a sturdy spade is the best way, but using a rotavator works OK too. In doing so, it will add to its ease of cultivation. If using manure, spread to an 8 cm (3") thickness. Would they dry out between rain/storms. Vermiculite is good for root growth. The insides of the excavation can become smeared, particularly by mechanical diggers building a soakaway in clay soils. The best garden drainage solutions usually consist of a french drain system leading into a pump station which redirects water into a surface drain. The slope of the apron (1%) should fall to a drainage channel leading to a soakaway pit, an irrigated garden or a cattle drinking trough (see corresponding briefs). How do I install a soakaway in my garden? Follow these 6 simple steps to install soakaway crates – both quickly and correctly: Step 1 – Create space. 5m away from the garden wall). It is worth mentioning that certain soil types like heavy clay will be unlikely to allow sufficient water drainage for a soakaway, while sand, chalk and limestone based soils are likely to be suitable. This was done over winter and it looked like a complete quagmire. You should recieve some clips or ties with the crates. Installing French drains and a soakaway in clay soil can be an effective way to manage waterlogging, but there are certain considerations you should keep in mind. How important the quality of soakaway soil . Before checking the soil or inspecting the land you must check local planning regulations, especially if you’re including the soakaway as part of an addition or extension to your. If a soakaway is impossible to achieve, you may be able to discharge the water into a local watercourse if you live next to one. Step 4 – Hook up to the drainage system. When installed correctly, French drains can redirect water to a designated location, such as a soakaway. So the two are totally different and adding sand to clay doesn’t mean it will set like. Underdrains can increase drainage over clay soils. A soakaway is basically a deep hole filled with rubble. Discussion. Keep drains clear. But must clay soils are quite deep. Regrading the garden slightly to have the water run down to one side. water in and out but stopping soil. 8m deep. Steps: To build a basic stand-alone soakaway, dig a pit in your soft turf no less than 1m2 and 1. surface soil, underlying soil, (depth > 1. Step 2. All septic tanks require emptying ONCE A YEAR. e. Allow to seep away overnight. We have taken down a large wall and the earth behind it thus trying to have it at one level. The least suitable soil types for a drainage field soakaway are: Clay soils (including soil with high clay content) Silty soils; If the percolation test results determine that the soil is in the "Goldilocks zone" of drainage - not to slow to drain discharge but not too quick to not treat it - the results will help with calculating the size of. Once the soakaway crates are in place, back and side fill is required to ensure the structure remains stable and in position. The side drains join the main drain at a 45 degrees angle and are spaced at 10 ft intervals for clay soil and 25 ft intervals for loamy soil. Rotavate that in and replace the top soil. You do not have to construct your own, you can but soakaways specially made for boiler condense, they are about 100mm in diameter and about 300mm deep, they come with adaptors on top to take overflow pipe or 32mm plastic, they should be filled with limestone chippings and. Questions: Has anyone used the. W. In order for anything to soakaway in the ground, the ground needs to be able to drain. Alternately, gardeners can build berms in the landscape to lift plants out of poor-draining clay. 8 meters deep to work. A soakaway can be left open, filled with small stone or river rock, or filled with rock and then covered with a layer of sod or soil. Messy and expensive excavation, deeper foundations and biggest problem of all; rainwater will not soak away. Rebekah PooleOk well. #5. To work out what size soakaway is required for your property, use the method below to. clay lumps and friable particles. What are your options if you have a septic tank in clay soil? Unless you have another area within your property's boundary which does not have clay soil, then a soakaway system or drainage field is unlikely to work. of 2. This is useful if the soils are clayey and do not drain very well. 75 high. #1 I'm looking at re laying my driveway, which is currently constructed of non porous materials and which runs into local drainage. It strengthens root anchorage. Staffordshire. And it could be right if we consider that concrete has sand in it. Ideally you prefer a soakaway rate of 1 x 10-5m/s in order to achieve the half emptying time1. Ensures no contamination of ground water. You should receive some clips or ties with the crates. Water in camps of Displaced people 1994. The required volume of the soakaway and the volume of the storm surge attenuator are calculated in similar ways. If the garden is already waterloggedNormal soakaway drainfields will not be able to soak wastewater away into clay or clay-based soils because of their porous nature. 11 60 3. orOThe most common size of soakaway for residential use is 1 Cubic Metre (1m³), as this is what most Local Authorities seem to specify. The soils treated are Organic silt, Varved silts and clays, soft clay, Dredged material The design considerations which should be made are bearing capacity, Slope stability, Degree of consolidation. If you have noticed that water tends to puddle on the ground rather than soak in, it is likely your soil is clay. allow the garden. Finding alternatives to natural resources is important for a sustainable future and is essential to infrastructure projects. Then mark and dig out the side trenches to connect to the main drain, forming a herringbone pattern. A soakaway is basically a deep hole filled with rubble. Due to its nature, vermiculite prevents mould. Their construction involves digging a large hole in the ground and stacking soakaway or attenuation crates within it. Dig a series of parallel trenches every 3-6m across the garden, sloping towards the ditch or soakaway. Soil that consists of over 50 percent clay particles is referred to as “heavy clay. Sodicity in soil is the presence of a high proportion of sodium ions relative to other cations. Soil that is mixed with peat is much less dense. Soakaway cross section. then soil. Soakaway Nightmare, Clay Soil. When it comes to drainage, clay soil can be incredibly problematic. If it takes one to two hours for the. Sit a slab on that. Turkey grit is ground granite. No need to compact the bottom. allow the garden. 2m x 1. Are soakaways suitable in clay soils? Over the years we have seen multiple examples where soakaway systems have been proposed within development schemes situated on clay without consulting a Flood Risk Consultant, and the Local Authority have rightfully raised a holding objection, pending further investigation. Top tips to reduce surface water flooding. 1. Soils with high clay content may have poor drainage capabilities compared to sandy or loamy soils. Free call for quote on. It promotes the rapid growth of roots and plants in general. Hi folks. When used with other mediums, it increases the retention of nutrients. Determining the optimum size for a soakaway can be a complex iterative calculation including many factors such as location, soil types, size and shape, maintenance etc. . Digging with a sturdy spade is the best way, but using a rotavator works OK too. Water-loving plants like swamp milkweed ( Asclepias incarnata; pictured) or cardinal flower ( Lobelia cardinalis) both beautify and improve poorly draining areas. 2 to 9. This option is super popular for crafty hydroponic gardeners on a budget. The Plant Company often uses a mini-excavator to complete this task as the bigger the hole, the. 4 x190l (1000x50x40mm each) crates wrapped in geo fabric (french drain pipe into here) back filled around and on top with 10-20mm gravel. Much reviled for some reason, but it worked for me. I started to dig a soakaway pit, only to find four different colours of clay. Back Garden Soakaway + Clay. It does not rot. This includes the top and the bottom! If your soakaway is covered by soil or lawn you will need at least 200mm of topsoil on top. 49 50 3. How to Perform the Percolation Test Calculations: V = The amount of time in seconds for the water in the test hole to drop by 1mm. 5%. mix concrete on the driveway. Required storage volume in the soakaway, SSoil organic carbon dynamics: Impact of land use changes and management practices: A review. The first method is to dig up the soakaway, remove all the pipes and crates and re-install a new system. Don't spill your soil. Plastic septic systems are prone to buckling or caving in when put under this constant pressure. Topography, soil characteristics and composition of the effluent should be examined. . . Country. you are now not allowed to run storm water in to fowel drains. you can go as close as is practical to the hedge. It is pointless sinking a soakaway in clay unless there is a more porous layer underneath. Step 2 – Prepare the crates. LeadFarmer said: Soakaways in clay soil just become ponds. Digging in a 1m3 soakaway using a soakaway crate near the centre back of the garden (at least 5m away from the house and 2. Water-loving plants like swamp milkweed ( Asclepias incarnata; pictured) or cardinal flower ( Lobelia cardinalis) both beautify and improve poorly draining areas. Beauty Advent calendars are significantly pricier than chocolate ones, but they've become increasingly popular in the last few years as a way of bagging beauty products at a fraction of the normal cost. Flo-Well® Engineered Dry Well. Make sure roofs are in good repair. 60 100 6. co. Use coconut fiber (fibers extracted from the outer part of coconut) to custom make an orchid mix. The size of the soak away will need to be worked out in advance. Seal bag of clay with twist tie or rubber band. Sometimes, your septic tank overflowing can cause the wrong stuff to go into your soakaway system, which in turn causes a blockage. Installing a soakaway is fairly straightforward and requires little. Reason 3: Soil Type and/or groundwater table. Log In. This is a more complex project, and the extra costs reflect the difficulty in lifting sections of a driveway and the deeper hole. Working with a qualified septic system designer or installer (+1 877-851-7125) can help ensure that. The design of the crate structure is required to ensure a half empty time of 24 hours or less. P = the maximum number of persons that the treatment system/tank is designed to serve. Common soil types are detailed in the table below. #15. Country. Whether you’re using crates or stones for your soakaway pit, be careful not to spill soil inside your geotextile lining as it won’t work effectively. To construct a basic stand alone soak away or one to use as a dispersal point for a French drain system where the water will gradually seep away into the surrounding soil. Dig a soak-away trench. As part of my building extension planning proposal I intended to create a soakaway to accomodate the extra surface water. This study investigated two types of biopolymers as alternative soil. If you end up building a soakaway over or in heavy clay or clay soils, you’ll actually end up with a pond due to the non-porous properties of heavy clay and clay soils. g. Location. So yes soakaways can work perfectly well in clay. We share our downpipe with our neighbours so we are taking a lot of the rainfall. This. Principles. Fill the hole up to about 100mm (4in) of the top with. The wastewater would pass straight through the shallow or limited topsoil, hit the clay, and either travel sideways or back up to ground level. Oliver W. tomfe. 62 20 1. Where deep drains are necessary, the hole should conform to this shape at the bottom, but may be enlarged above the 300mm level to enable safe excavation to be carried out. pH value of natural organic soil amendments. All clay soils become easier to work with if you add organic material. When a soakaway has blocked and flooded we can attend your property and provide a report. A minimum soil infiltration rate of 0. They are also referred to as dry wells, soak wells or soak pits in other countries, but in the UK are known as soakaways. To determine. If the sediments entering the soakaway are the same size or larger than the pores in the infiltration medium then the sediments do not significantly affect the infiltration rate through the soakaway. We provide National coverage. To work, it must extend below the clay and be at least 1. Among these replacements is the use of coffee waste as soil stabilizers. changed your discharge from surface water to ground. 8m deep A soakaway is basically a deep hole filled with rubble. 3) Dig a number of deep 600mm holes with an auger and fill with stones/sand to let the water drain into. 262 months. ) for a 100m2 driveway (or 75m driveway with a steep gradient) and always remember to allow for your roof area if you are discharging both into the same soakaway. Soil porosity refers to the fraction of the total soil volume that is taken up by the pore space (Nimmo, 2004). If the ground is unsuitable, like clay soils are, localised flooding can occur due to waterlogging. 5m away from the garden wall). See full list on gardendoctor. Settlement of the Made Ground could result in settlement of the inlet pipe into the soakaway, opening of joints and water leakage. Gently remove the lavender plant from the pot and backfill the hole with the garden soil mixture. Country. Full Drainage Design Suite. The hole should be at least 4 feet. fWhilst the base of a conventional soakaway will be in a suitable strata, loose Made Ground may be encountered close to the ground surface. Study criteria. The soils treated are Organic silt, Varved silts and clays, soft clay, Dredged material The design considerations which should be made are bearing capacity, Slope stability, Degree of consolidation. Clay soil is sticky and forms thick lumps when it gets wet; Clay soil can become rock-hard in dry conditions; Clay soil does not absorb water quickly leading to stagnation; Clay soil is significantly harder to cultivate as compared to other soil types; Clay soil warms quite slowly during spring but can retain more heat during winter. Normal soakaway drainfields will not be able to soak wastewater away into clay or clay-based soils because of their porous nature. Regrading the garden slightly to have the water run down to one side. Dig a series of parallel trenches every 3-6m across the garden, sloping towards the ditch or soakaway. These are used to hook up the crates to prevent movement while the side-filling materials are added. Start by digging a pit approximately 1. Step 1. it may mean deeper than standard foundations particularly if you have clay soil. We offer septic tank solutions with a range of SABS-certified septic tanks as well as conservancy tanks. The ideal garden drainage solution depends. The BRE Digest 365 Trial Pit Soakaway Test is by far the most common method of soakaway test. Be careful if you are using a rotavator, it's likely to bounce off the compacted clay until you get the hang of it. A soakaway system enables you to collect water and then slowly disperse it into nearby soil without creating excessive runoff and overwhelming the underground drainage systems, which is particularly important in areas with higher than average rainfall, hard ground or steep sloping ground. Hole 300mm square to depth of 300mm below where pipe will go into the soakaway. If compacting is inevitable, the next best thing is to amend the soil with compost, gypsum, wood chunks, and mulch. It behaves like lignin (decomposed wood cellulose). Step 3 – Prepare the base. These types of soakaway are useful where a very good infiltration medium underlies a deep layer of poor infiltration material, such as gravels underlying a deep. Excavate a hole 300mm square and 300mm below the proposed outlet from the septic tank or sewage treatment plant. In order to get a chamomile lawn established, you’ll need to remove the grass. Soakaway crates can be used to create a large storage volume or deep bore soakaways can be installed to. and copyrighted in 1996, to compensate for clay and impervious soils and high water table ground that cannot utilise a. Alternately, gardeners can build berms in the landscape to lift plants out of poor-draining clay. All soakaway systems need to be at least 5 metres away from your property; if the areas surrounding your property don't span more than 5 metres you can't install one, and you must consider alternatives. If your London property is built on heavy soil or clay-based soil, then a soakaway won’t be an effective choice. This enables aerobic contact between the effluent and the drainage stone and soil particles. Pre-settled effluent from a collection and storage/treatment or (semi-) centralized treatment technology is discharged to the underground chamber from which it infiltrates into the surrounding soil. For clay soils where the percolation tests are in the order of 2x10 7 (m/s infiltration rate) the following table can be used as the basis of soakaway design. Rainwater harvesting systems will usually have an overflow to a soakaway or drain. The purpose of a soakaway is to discharge and percolate the water back into the soil at a steady rate – preventing downstream flooding. In clay soil, when the rainwater pools on a specific area, dry wells can solve that. some clay soils) may not be suitable. Country. After (just recently) reading to manufactures instructions concerning the soakaway its states it need needs to be. A soakaway crate is used as part of a full drainage system in areas that experience high levels of surface water or run-off. Robust, durable and easy to handle. The guttering had been disconnected. How to Build a Soakaway in Clay Soil? A soakaway is basically a deep hole filled with rubble. 8m deep. If that isn't possible, you can discharge the rainwater into a sewer, although you will need to get permission from the water company first and they will charge you a yearly fee. Some clay soils will achieve virtually zero infiltration and in these soils a soakaway will not be practical. Turface. This is best done using shingle or sand, which needs at least 6 inches to be placed around the sides as well as on the top of your crates, before (for gardens) at least another six inches of any soil which was removed to make space for the crates is added back on top and. How deep should a soakaway be in clay soil? 1. View Product. line the hole with geo fabric. If you can't connect into the flood water system and the garden soil is mostly clay, another option to disperse water is to install a pump and sump system. This is particularly the case where space is lacking and the soakaway size must be minimised. mix concrete on the driveway. . Do not use fine-grained sand as it will just. orsoakaway to 50% surface wetting or the filling of effective depth: this excludes the base area which is assumed to clog with fine particles and become ineffective in the long-term; f = the soil infiltration rate determined in a trial pit at the site of the soakaway; D = the storm duration. New Channel - FREN. Soakaways are viable for clay soils but normally need to be be another size up- (greater storage for later attenuation), for instance I know Aquacell quote numbers of. The fitter assured us that it was all done correctly and that it has been fitted into a soakaway. Soakaways and alternatives. While there are a great many organic soil amendments, for improving clay soil, you will want to use compost or materials that compost quickly. drew33998; Dec 18, 2017; Soil, ferts, and chems.