Table S1. Details of sites sampled during field studies.

Site Location Working Full time Time since

Number (county) Volume (L) Occupants desludging /
installation (years)
1 Co. Dublin 4,757 2 0.50
2 Co. Wexford 4,500 4 0.67
3 Co. Louth 3,000 4 0.67
4 Co. Wexford 3,370 3 1.00
5 Co. Limerick 4,757 4 1.00
6 Co. Kildare 3,700 4 1.00
7 Co. Westmeath 3,800 4 1.00
8 Co. Louth 3,000 4 1.34
9 Co. Wexford 3,370 3 1.67
10 Co. Limerick 4,757 5 1.67
11 Co. Limerick 4,757 4 1.67
12 Co. Dublin 4,000 2 2.08
13 Co. Limerick 4,757 5 2.34
14 Co. Leitrim 3,800 3 2.50
15 Co. Westmeath 3,600 4 3.00
16 Co. Wicklow 4,000 5 3.50
17 Co. Louth 3,800 5 3.67
18 Co. Wicklow 3,600 3 4.00
19 Co. Westmeath 4,400 4 4.33
20 Co. Kildare 4,000 3 4.50
21 Co. Wexford 3,000 5 5.17
22 Co. Dublin 3,370 4 5.25
23 Co. Meath 4,500 5 5.50
24 Co. Westmeath 3,500 3 5.80
25 Co. Wexford 3,600 4 6.50
26 Co. Wexford 4,700 4 7.00
27 Co. Meath 3,600 3 7.67
Table S2. Average volumetric and mass sludge accumulation rates for various time periods.

Volumetric Volumetric Mass Mass

Accumulation Accumulation accumulation accumulation
Chamber 1 Chamber 2 Chamber 1 Chamber 2
Years (L/p/y) (L/p/y) (L/p/y) (kg/p/y)

<1 201 14 6.1 0.2

1-2 141 37 4.1 1.0

2-3 115 59 3.1 1.8

3-4 87 42 2.3 1.2

4-5 53 32 1.3 1.2

5+ 33 24 1.0 1.3
Table S.3 Recommended desludging frequencies from Irish field data model for septic tank
systems (years) based on tank being 40% full. Desludging intervals of approximately 3 to 5
years highlighted in blue. Sizes outside Irish design guidelines left blank.
Number of full-time occupants
Tank working
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
volume (m3)
2.5 2.0 1.2
3.0 2.8 1.5 1.1 0.9 0.8
3.5 3.7 1.8 1.3 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.8
4.0 5.0 2.3 1.5 1.2 1.0 0.9 0.8
4.5 6.8 2.8 1.8 1.3 1.1 1.0 0.9
5.0 9.2 3.4 2.0 1.5 1.2 1.1 1.0
5.5 12.4 4.1 2.4 1.7 1.4 1.2 1.0
6.0 16.8 5.0 2.8 1.9 1.5 1.3 1.1

Table S.4 Recommended desludging frequencies from Irish field data model for septic tank
systems (years) based on tank being 50% full. Desludging intervals of approximately 3 to 5
years highlighted in blue. Sizes outside Irish design guidelines left blank.
Number of full-time occupants
Tank working
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
volume (m3)
2.5 3.0 1.6
3.0 4.3 2.0 1.4 1.1 1.0
3.5 6.3 2.6 1.7 1.3 1.1 1.0 0.9
4.0 9.2 3.4 2.0 1.5 1.2 1.1 1.0
4.5 13.4 4.3 2.5 1.8 1.4 1.2 1.1
5.0 19.6 5.6 3.0 2.0 1.6 1.3 1.2
5.5 28.5 7.2 3.6 2.4 1.8 1.5 1.3
6.0 41.6 9.2 4.3 2.8 2.0 1.6 1.4
Table S.5 Recommended desludging frequencies from Bounds equation for septic tank
systems (years) based on tank being 40% full. Desludging intervals of approximately 3 to 5
years highlighted in blue. Sizes outside Irish design guidelines left blank.
Number of full-time occupants
Tank working
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
volume (m3)
2.5 4.6 2.5
3.0 6.1 3.3 2.2 1.6 1.2
3.5 7.6 4.2 2.7 2.0 1.5 1.2 1.0
4.0 9.3 5.1 3.3 2.4 1.8 1.4 1.2
4.5 11.0 6.1 4.0 2.8 2.2 1.7 1.4
5.0 12.9 7.1 4.6 3.3 2.5 2.0 1.7
5.5 14.9 8.2 5.3 3.8 2.9 2.3 1.9
6.0 16.9 9.3 6.1 4.4 3.3 2.6 2.2

Table S.6 Recommended desludging frequencies from Bounds equation for septic tank
systems (years) based on tank being 50% full. Desludging intervals of approximately 3 to 5
years highlighted in blue. Sizes outside Irish design guidelines left blank.
Number of full-time occupants
Tank working
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
volume (m3)
2.5 6.4 3.5
3.0 8.4 4.6 3.0 2.2 1.7
3.5 10.6 5.8 3.8 2.7 2.1 1.7 1.4
4.0 12.9 7.1 4.6 3.3 2.5 2.0 1.7
4.5 15.4 8.4 5.5 4.0 3.0 2.4 2.0
5.0 18.0 9.9 6.4 4.6 3.5 2.8 2.3
5.5 20.7 11.3 7.4 5.3 4.1 3.2 2.7
6.0 23.5 12.9 8.4 6.1 4.6 3.7 3.0
Figure S1. Standard design two-chamber septic tank system complying with Irish design
regulations (EPA, 2021).

Figure S2. Volumetric sludge accumulation with respect to number of full-time house
occupants.
Figure S3. Organic fraction of sludge (volatile suspended solids) with respect to time since
installation / desludging.

Figure S4. Temperature and flow profiles measured in a septic tank in Ireland in the winter
(January and February), compared to prevailing air and soil temperatures.
Figure S5. Predicted mass accumulation of sludge per person at a particular point in time
(L/person) from average measured accumulation rates in the field. Average field
measurements also shown.

7000

6000 f(x) = 900 x + 800

Tnak volume (litres)

R² = 0.987804878048781
5000

4000

3000

2000

1000

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
population per tank

Figure S6. Revised septic tank size relationship to number full time occupants to give design
desludging intervals of between 3 to 5 years according to Table 1.