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Septic tanks - more new legislation ?

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Septic tanks - more new legislation ?

Postby RogerS » 25 Apr 2021, 16:55

No, not referring to the one that came into force in 2020.

My builder has heard rumours that the Environment Agency were talking about banning discharge fields and septic tanks in five years time and that only sewage treatment plants would be allowed.

Anyone heard anything about this ?
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Re: Septic tanks - more new legislation ?

Postby AJB Temple » 25 Apr 2021, 17:31

I am certain that scaremongering is going on. I think there is no chance that such a major change will be brought in so soon after the 2020 rules and with no public consultation and no whisper of it on-line by water companies or treatment plant suppliers.

Our nearest neighbours both have a septic tank and both have to empty it about once a month at £90 a time. Fortunately we have a double action treatment plant in our garden, a good long way from the house.
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Re: Septic tanks - more new legislation ?

Postby RogerS » 25 Apr 2021, 17:35

AJB Temple wrote:......

Our nearest neighbours both have a septic tank and both have to empty it about once a month at £90 a time. ....


At that frequency of emptying, sounds more like a cesspit.
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Re: Septic tanks - more new legislation ?

Postby sunnybob » 25 Apr 2021, 17:45

What the hell do they put down it?
We have just a deep circular hole, and Its only been emptied twice in 12 years.
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Re: Septic tanks - more new legislation ?

Postby AJB Temple » 25 Apr 2021, 17:52

Sorry yes, cess pit tank. Two adults, two young children, nanny and parents there most weekends. So a lot of washing showering, dishwasher and loo use I imagine.

The chap next door is an architect and we discussed why he doesn't switch to a treatment plant. They moved in three years ago and did a massive full house renovation with new everything, so it would have made sense to do it then.
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Re: Septic tanks - more new legislation ?

Postby Lurker » 26 Apr 2021, 18:34

Change your name to Thames Water, the EA will then let you do whatever you damn well please.
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Re: Septic tanks - more new legislation ?

Postby RogerS » 27 Apr 2021, 12:13

Looks to be an urban myth. Klargester have not heard anything and, as one of the major suppliers of septic tanks, you'd expect them to be involved in early discussions. Neither has my council Building Control office.

I have an enquiry out to the EA but they warn of long delays in replies.
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Re: Septic tanks - more new legislation ?

Postby RogerS » 11 Mar 2022, 15:56

An update.

I have it in writing from the Environment Agency that pollution from septic tanks discharging into a stream is considered low risk and so will not be enforced. One questions why they wasted all that energy creating the General Binding Regs in the first place if they have no intention of enforcing them.

So good news. As a result, I've just cancelled putting in my sewage treatment plant and the money can go towards much more worthwhile things.
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Re: Septic tanks - more new legislation ?

Postby AJB Temple » 11 Mar 2022, 16:06

You could go half way house Roger, at very low cost. The type that basically pump air in and release clean water are just the price of a pump and aeration kit. No bio vanes etc. To my amazement the local authority has approved these with EA rubber stamping for some house on the far side of our village that cannot be connected to mains sewerage. They are effective apparently and pretty much eliminate smells. We have a three stage chamber system built before my time, and that is the last stage.

Our next door neighbour finally got sick of the endless emptying and installed a Klargester. Must have cost quite a bit as they built a big concrete chamber and replaced all of the drainage pipes.
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Re: Septic tanks - more new legislation ?

Postby RogerS » 11 Mar 2022, 16:15

AJB Temple wrote:You could go half way house Roger, at very low cost. The type that basically pump air in and release clean water are just the price of a pump and aeration kit. No bio vanes etc. ......


Ooooh....now that's a thought. We already have a Klargester. Do you by any chance have any links to a suitable pump and aeration kit?
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Re: Septic tanks - more new legislation ?

Postby AJB Temple » 12 Mar 2022, 08:46

I can't recall the name of the air probe unit Roger (it's a long perforated rod that goes down into the sump and pumps oxygen through. Somehow, the unit squirts out clean water into our drainage ditch in pulses. The diaphragm pump unit is a Secoh, and this is covered by a green enclosure that I think was made by Klargester.

Bear in mind that the enclosure protects the electrics and also kills the (slight) noise of the air pump. Pumps are around £150 for a typical domestic sized unit, the cover was about £60 and the air unit was under £100 last time we replaced it (after the maintenance man clumsily broke the original hiblow unit I think it was called).
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Re: Septic tanks - more new legislation ?

Postby RogerS » 12 Mar 2022, 08:57

Many thanks, Adrian.
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