On 16/08/2018 13:19, NY wrote:
"Robin" wrote in message
...
Building regulations aim to build to new better standards. They have
never inisted on modifications to existing properties.

This regulation does that.


It's not part of the building regulations so I don't know why you are
banging on about them.

Look at it more like the restrictions on leaded petrol, lead paint,
dumping white asbestos in your local park, burning plastic waste or
old tyres in your garden incinerator, etc etc.

Not really a fair comparison. Leaded petrol can be solved in cars that
need it by using unleaded and either a fuel additive as a valve
lubricant (IIRC) or an adjustment to ignition timing. Lead paint,
asbestos, burning plastic/tyres - all those come into the category of
"don't do it - do this instead" (eg take to a proper tip).

But if there are going to be tighter restrictions on the outflow from
septic tanks, then that may be a very costly and disruptive conversion.
It's not just a case of modifying your behaviour a bit so as to be more
responsible. I'm sure retrospective changes will be a lot more expensive
than modified regulations and more elaborate septic tank for new build.

I'm wondering because at some stage in the next decade or so we will
probably be selling my parents' holiday cottage which has a dual chamber
septic tank that was installed probably in the late 60s or early 70s
(certainly by 1975 when we bought the cottage). As far as I know, all
the properties have septic tanks and these drain into a common "land
drain" that also takes grey water and rainwater and I think drains into
a stream just beyond the village. I don't think it goes into underground
soakaway.

My parents have recently sold their holiday home in Brittany. The old
septic tank had to be replaced before they could sell it and due to the
position of the house and the avilable space, it could not go in the
existing position. The new one had to but put at the front of the house
and new drains run under the house (with an existing tiled floor, on
thick concrete and under 3 ft stone walls); across the drive/parking
area (2ft thick concrete, as the previous owner simply had loads poured
to level the land) and a whole new drainage system under the grass
beyond (which had to be built up because the land was too low).

Not only did it cost something like Eu20K (luckily with a Eu12K grant),
but it took 6 months to process the grant paperwork, 5 months for the
company to actually come and do some work and another 2 months to get
them to finish the last couple of hours work and get the completion
forms signed off. 13 months of delay, with the house unable to be sold
and no ability to switch to another company, as the grant application
would have had to be started all over again!

SteveW