Your sewage treatment system is a big investment so you want to ensure you get the right system and that it will last — especially when you consider that the following horrors could await…
1. £100,000 fine if your system is not compliant
With new rules on the way, all sewage effluent discharges are subject to Environment Agency (EA) general binding rules. This is for new and existing septic tanks and sewage treatment solutions, regardless of volume or location.
Septic tank effluent can’t be discharged into any watercourse or ditch. If you have a septic tank that does, it needs to be replaced by 1st January 2020, or if you sell your property before this date, under these new rules.
Your system may not comply with the General Binding Rules brought in by the EA if it was built before they were introduced. The maximum fine is now £100,000. So if it does discharge into a ditch, you MUST act before 1st January 2020.
2. System can become buoyant or collapse
There have been some very real horror stories where tanks have been badly installed.
If a tank is not installed correctly, it can become buoyant once emptied and rise up, breaking through the ground. This will mean that your tank is no longer underground. The cause is usually due to the excavation site becoming saturated with water, especially in areas where dense soil has been replaced with less dense material.
To prevent this, the excavation site should be kept as small as possible and you should also be careful with what you are backfilling with when installing the tank. Make sure you consider the conditions of your area and whether buoyancy could be a potential problem. You can secure the tank using concrete deadmen or screw anchors, as well as appropriate strapping material to tie it down.
Hopefully this will help you avoid the nightmare of floating tanks!
Wrongly specified tanks have a habit of collapsing. Prevent this by ensuring you install the correct tank for your needs. For example, if you are surrounded by farmland, make sure the tank is located where it won’t be driven over by heavy tractors or farm vehicles, which can cause it to collapse under pressure.
3. System could overflow and back up into the house
It’s essential that you keep on top of the maintenance of your sewage treatment or septic tank. Problems can occur if a septic tank is not emptied regularly. A domestic septic tank can only hold one year’s worth of sludge, so it needs to be emptied annually. Another issue can occur if more people are using the system than originally intended — for instance, a system designed for one or two people may struggle if a family of four moves in.
How to prevent these nightmare scenarios?
1. Select the right system:
It’s important to choose the right sewage treatment system. You must consider your environmental requirements and ensure the system can handle your specific needs, such as the number of people it will serve. You also need to ensure compliance with the latest regulations by 1st January 2020 — read more here.
2. Select the right installer:
Choose a qualified installer you can trust. They should answer your questions and ensure you have the correct sewage treatment plant for your property. Find out more here.
3. Make sure you service your system:
It’s important to ensure your sewage treatment system is regularly serviced. The frequency will depend on the system size.
Get expert advice
For more help and information, please call and talk to one of our experts on 0121 351 3230.
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