Septic tank soakaway - who 'constructs' them?

BTW, would also like whoever I get for the soakaway to take a look at my existing septic tank, see if they think it's contributing towards my ongoing 'blockage' issues (see other thread on septic tanks), etc. Presumably whoever constructs soakaways should also know all about septic tanks, installing them and the pipework, etc?

The 'modern' name is a "groundwork contractor".

You could also look here for info:

Depending on where you are in the country, I can recommend Anglia Pollution Control

And Part H of the Building Regulations has quite a bit of advice on the construction of soakaways:

You need permission from the Environment Agency and Building Control to construct a septic tank soakaway. They will approve the plans and the latter check contruction. Probably a firm that advertises under Sewage Consultants would be the best. If you make friends with your local building control they may be able to make an informal suggestion of who use. Whne you bought the property the discharge consent should have been transferred to your name. Was this done?

Peter Crosland

I would assume so, presumably I would need to check with my local building control (whoever they are - council planning dept I guess?).

As I already have a soakaway (presumably under my name) would new permissions need to be granted if a new one was to be constructed in the same area or if the old one needed to be re-constructed?

It's not a planning control issue, it's building control you need to deal with - completely different departments of your local council.

BC care about things being built right and safe - PC, what it looks like, will neighbours object etc.

If you have a new soakaway/processor it will have to conform to current building regs - I *think* the Environment Agency certificate (which actually involves testing the purity of the outfall) is only required if your system (as mine did) discharges into a watercourse.

However if you have a specialist contractor, they will do all the paperwork for you - you just pay the (quite large) bill.

I had a wrecked herringbone (soakaway) at my last house, used APCL who retrofitted a processor to my existing tank, built an outfall into a river, arranged the testing and supplied an Environment Agency certificate.

I found mine under "septic Tanks", perhaps I was lucky but they made a good job of replacing my old concrete thing, installed the soak-away and handled all the paper work. At, I thought, a reasonable price.

To clarify things (No pun intendced!) the EA are the people who give the permission whilst BC, not the planners, oversee the construction. The EA will be able to tell you who the consent, assuming there is one, is in the name of. Unless you have had it transferred to you then your discharge is illegal. AIUI you need permission even if you are replacing an existing soakaway. Certainly I did when mine was done about five years ago. I suggest you talk to the EA first as BC have no remit at this stage.

Peter Crosland

Just for information any soakaway from a septic tank, or sewage treatment plant, needs prior approval of the EA. The output has to have a sampling point that the EA can use to check for compliance once it is operational.

Peter Crosland

I would assume that it was transferred to me when I bought the property a few years ago. What would be the point in having to transfer it separately? All that does is confuse everyone.

Me included. :-)

Sorry to be blunt but.............. With property transactions assume nothing, and trust nobody! The property owner has to take responsibility for their obligations. The consent is issued, and administered, by the EA and is in the name of the property owner. It is up to the property owner to notify the EA that the property ownership has changed. If it was transferred then the EA would have sent the consent to you. So it seems likely that either the consent has not been transferred or no consent exists.

Peter Crosland

I see.This is all most worrying.

Having said that, from looking at the Environment Agency page on this matter:

to quote from that page:

"We don't require Consent for discharges of sewage from a small sewage treatment plant or septic tank into a soakaway or drainage field, provided that:

• it is not in a Groundwater Source Protection Zone 1 (also referred to as the Inner Zone); * it has a volume of less than 2m3 per day; * the installation was designed and built to the standards applicable when it was installed; and * it is properly maintained."

now my soakaway is located in a field that is also part of my property. Only two people live in this property (my wife and myself) so the volume of 'water' discharged per day is minimal.

Now whether the soakaway was built to the correct standards I don't know, but I understand from a neighbour that it was built about 8 or so years ago.

I guess I had better make some enquiries with the Environment Agency.

This is though VERY perplexing as I had assumed that this was all part of the property exchange process. I was obviously mistaken. Unfortunately these days ignorance is no excuse, but in this case I think it should be! After all, how on earth was I to know?

As you say the old adage applies and if it did not almost any breach of the law could be without penalty. Having said that your solicitor should perhaps have asked the vendor if they did have all the necessary permissions. My installation is for a household of two people and the soakaway is in the adjoining orchard, with permission of the owner, and when I asked the EA they were adamant that a consent was required even though I replaced an existing, 60 year old, septic tank, with a small treatment plant that has significantly lower level of pollutant output. Whilst applying for the consent will cost money, it will be much less than the fine if you get caught without one. The company you employ to do the work should deal with the EA and BC consents. Unless there are particular problems with the site it should be quite straightforward. The main things they are concerned with are preventing pollution of water sources and that the soakaway is of sufficient size for the property and the likely number of inhabitants now and in the future. Also remember that even if you don't need EA consnent the BC will need to be satisfied that the propsed installation will meet the required standards.

Peter Crosland

This is what I too 'assume' to be the case. He's an excellent solicitor and came very highly recommended, he did an excellent job when we moved house, so I can't imagine that he would have missed this IF it was/was likely to be an issue.

How strange! Annoying too!

Many thanks, noted. I appreciate all your advice in this matter. I'll have a chat with my solicitor.

Good luck. If the deeds, or Land Registry entry, made no mention of the septic tank he may not even be aware there was one particularly if most of his clients are in urban areas. My house had been conveyed by the same firm of solicitors three times and on each occasion they missed a particular point. The brown stuff hit the revolving metalwork when it was pointed out to them. As I said trust nobody..........................

Peter Crosland

Dont worry.

Their concern is pollution of waterways from untreated sewage. The only=20 stricture they threw at me was because I am on clay, they required a=20 biodisc type unit, as the soakaway properties of clay are very poor, and =

I was dumping into a ditch.

Dont bother. Its been passed, its fine.

I think Peter is being prissy. In rural areas there simply isn't an=20 issue, if you want to pollute your land, its your problem.

However, before you spend a fortune on redigging the soakaway, consider=20 installing a biodisc or similar - =A36-8k all in probably - and a FAR=20 better quality of outflow that you CAN dump in a ditch. The EA will love =

you if you do as well.

Thanks for the advice.

So this Biodisc installed instead of the septic tank?