Currently trying to track down whoever built the soakaway on my
property (apparently only constructed about 10 years ago) and/or
simply find someone who could give me advice on my existing soakaway
(not sure if it's working properly you see). Just to help me minimise
my search I'm wondering what kind of company does this job. Looking at
www.yell.com a search for 'soakaway' comes up with:


-Drainage Consultants; Drains and Pipe Cleaning

-Sewage Consultants

-Water Conservation and Management

-Wellborers and Sinkers



Also, how do I ensure that I get someone who does a good job IF I need
a new soakaway ? Is there some kind of accreditation, governing body,
etc?

Ta.

On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:58:38 GMT,
(jamma-plusser) wrote:

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?

jamma-plusser wrote:
Currently trying to track down whoever built the soakaway on my
property (apparently only constructed about 10 years ago) and/or
simply find someone who could give me advice on my existing soakaway
(not sure if it's working properly you see). Just to help me minimise
my search I'm wondering what kind of company does this job. Looking at
www.yell.com a search for 'soakaway' comes up with:


-Drainage Consultants; Drains and Pipe Cleaning

-Sewage Consultants

-Water Conservation and Management

-Wellborers and Sinkers



Also, how do I ensure that I get someone who does a good job IF I need
a new soakaway ? Is there some kind of accreditation, governing body,
etc?

Ta.


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

You could also look here for info:

http://www.pavingexpert.com/drain03.htm

On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:27:08 +0100, Dave Osborne
wrote:


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

You could also look here for info:

http://www.pavingexpert.com/drain03.htm

Many thanks. :-)

Depending on where you are in the country, I can recommend Anglia
Pollution Control http://www.apcoltd.co.uk/

You really want a company with experience of private drainage *in your
local conditions* - in the current climate many groundwork companies
may be keen, without the necessary experience.

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

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/eng...000000382.html

Currently trying to track down whoever built the soakaway on my
property (apparently only constructed about 10 years ago) and/or
simply find someone who could give me advice on my existing soakaway
(not sure if it's working properly you see). Just to help me minimise
my search I'm wondering what kind of company does this job. Looking at
www.yell.com a search for 'soakaway' comes up with:


-Drainage Consultants; Drains and Pipe Cleaning

-Sewage Consultants

-Water Conservation and Management

-Wellborers and Sinkers



Also, how do I ensure that I get someone who does a good job IF I need
a new soakaway ? Is there some kind of accreditation, governing body,
etc?


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

On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:15:35 +0100, "Peter Crosland"
wrote:


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?

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.

RubberBiker wrote:
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.

--
Please reply to group,emails to designated
address are never read.

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?

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?

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

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.


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

On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:51:15 +0100, "Peter Crosland"
wrote:


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.

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. :-)

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.

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

On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:53:46 +0100, "Peter Crosland"
wrote:


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.

I see.This is all most worrying.

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

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk...ter/32038.aspx

a consent is not always needed, so perhaps that's the case with my
property and soakaway.

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?

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.

I see.This is all most worrying.

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

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk...ter/32038.aspx

a consent is not always needed, so perhaps that's the case with my
property and soakaway.

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

On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:53:03 +0100, "Peter Crosland"
wrote:


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.

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.

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.

How strange! Annoying too!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

How strange! Annoying too!

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.

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

jamma-plusser wrote:
On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:53:46 +0100, "Peter Crosland"
wrote:


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.

I see.This is all most worrying.

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

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk...ter/32038.aspx

a consent is not always needed, so perhaps that's the case with my
property and soakaway.

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.


Dont worry.

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


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.


Dont bother. Its been passed, its fine.

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?

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


However, before you spend a fortune on redigging the soakaway, consider
installing a biodisc or similar - £6-8k all in probably - and a FAR
better quality of outflow that you CAN dump in a ditch. The EA will love
you if you do as well.

On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:08:45 +0100, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:


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?

jamma-plusser wrote:
On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:08:45 +0100, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:


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?

yes.

http://www.ohel.co.uk/products/biodisc_ba-bax-bb.html

On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:22:30 GMT, jamma-plusser wrote:

* it is not in a Groundwater Source Protection Zone 1 (also
referred to as the Inner Zone);
snip
I guess I had better make some enquiries with the Environment Agency.

I'd let sleeping dogs lie. Might make a few descrete enquiries about
being in a Ground Water Protection Zone 1, I suspect they would get
seriously upset about ordinary septic tank discharges in such an
area.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:00:02 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:


I'd let sleeping dogs lie. Might make a few descrete enquiries about
being in a Ground Water Protection Zone 1, I suspect they would get
seriously upset about ordinary septic tank discharges in such an
area.

Who would I approach to make discrete enquiries about being in a
Ground Water Protection Zone 1 (pretty sure I'm not, but no harm in
checking).

Or are there maps online which would show this kind of thing?

Thanks

On Tue, 14 Jul 2009 01:47:19 +0100, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:


So this Biodisc installed instead of the septic tank?

yes.

http://www.ohel.co.uk/products/biodisc_ba-bax-bb.html

Thanks. Wish I was rich .............. ;-)

On Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:32:17 GMT,
(jamma-plusser) wrote:


Or are there maps online which would show this kind of thing?

Thanks


Scrub that, just found the info on the EA web site and there are NO
Ground Water Protection Zones of ANY description in my area.

jamma-plusser wrote:
On Tue, 14 Jul 2009 01:47:19 +0100, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:


So this Biodisc installed instead of the septic tank?
yes.

http://www.ohel.co.uk/products/biodisc_ba-bax-bb.html

Thanks. Wish I was rich .............. ;-)


To be honest, compared with what I had, which smelt and needed regular
emptyi8ng, so far once the capital outlay is taken on, the damned
biodisc has been brilliant. NO SMELL!

Even straight into a puddle at the bottom of an old ditch.

Everyone round here puts them in when they get problems with their
original tanks. They just work mainly.

On Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:07:29 +0100, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:


To be honest, compared with what I had, which smelt and needed regular
emptyi8ng, so far once the capital outlay is taken on, the damned
biodisc has been brilliant. NO SMELL!

Even straight into a puddle at the bottom of an old ditch.

Everyone round here puts them in when they get problems with their
original tanks. They just work mainly.


Sounds good. Now if I could just win a few hundred grand on the
lottery ............. I'd move house! :-)

To be honest, compared with what I had, which smelt and needed regular
emptyi8ng, so far once the capital outlay is taken on, the damned
biodisc has been brilliant. NO SMELL!

Even straight into a puddle at the bottom of an old ditch.

Everyone round here puts them in when they get problems with their
original tanks. They just work mainly.


Sounds good. Now if I could just win a few hundred grand on the
lottery ............. I'd move house! :-)

A fully installed treatment, not necessarily BioDisc as there are others,
system including the soakaways should cost less than 10K. Sorting out the
old one if you need a new soakaway and associated works digging may well
cost 6K.

Peter Crosland

jamma-plusser wrote:
On Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:32:17 GMT,
(jamma-plusser) wrote:


Or are there maps online which would show this kind of thing?

Thanks


Scrub that, just found the info on the EA web site and there are NO
Ground Water Protection Zones of ANY description in my area.
If you want to trace whoever did the original work , I would have
thought a morning on the telephone to the local groundwork contractors
listed in the local paper or yellow pages would prove successful.
Also ask around the adjacent landowners or farmers - they may well
remember who did the work or offer advice on choice of contractors.