Septic tanks.....again

[Grain Buyer]

Please can someone help me out with regards to the new rules coming into effect on the 1st of Jan 2020.

I was always under the belief that as my existing septic tank had a discharge to ground water of less than 1.8cu I didn't need to change, but I'm now being told everyone needs to upgrade by 2020 in England?

I'm guessing we are talking thousands of pounds, how the heck can some people comply?

 

[Still Farming]

New and Existing maybe and exemptions ?
Check on Environment Agency websites .

 

[Farfrae]

As I have understand it if your property’s septic tank discharges to a watercourse, not a soakaway or drainage field, you will no longer be allowed to discharge directly to a watercourse such as a river or a stream. Septic tanks that currently discharge via a drainage field into the ground are not expected to be affected

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/general-binding-rules-small-sewage-discharge-to-a-surface-water

 

[nick...]

Untill you get a visit id do nothing.what is it with officials just want us to keep spending for no real benefit
Nick...

 

[DrWazzock]

Its a problem here as our watercourses are seriously contaminated with septic tank effluent from the ever expanding village upstream. Because the tanks aren't maintained or cleaned out, the sewerage starts coming through "undigested". Bits of bog roll and turds regularly rolling out of the outfalls. But farmers then get blamed for phosphate pollution and oxygen demand, never mind the dreadful stink and health hazard of an open sewer, especially when its full of grey sludge with low water flow in the summer.

The answer isn't to have a heavy handed crackdown on discharges to watercourses. These were done in the first place here because the water table is too high for a herring bone style drain to land to work, especially in winter, when the water backs up and there is all the misery of a flooded garden and blocked toilet.

What is needed is better education on septic tank maintenance and I would say a good use of rural development money would be the replacement of the old septic tanks with more modern micro treatment plants maybe even to process the waste from a row of houses. Just stopping people from discharging wont be very helpful. In the old days I used to get involved with helping with septic tank problems with the vacuum tanker. a lot of the tanks were brick and the partitions had collapsed meaning there was no digestion, it was just a tank. A lot of these tanks are still in place, not doing anything to process the sewerage.

Yes its time it was addressed but in a cooperative rather than confrontational way. They used to call it public works and civic duty. Doesn't seem to be much of that around now.

 

[Grain Buyer]

just found out its compulsory and because my neighbour is selling, it needs to be done. I recon £4000 should do it, but what if I couldn't afford it? No grants or government loans. You have to pay full VAT on the plant, and apply for god damn planning permission to install!!

 

[fgc325j]

Please can someone help me out with regards to the new rules coming into effect on the 1st of Jan 2020.

I was always under the belief that as my existing septic tank had a discharge to ground water of less than 1.8cu I didn't need to change, but I'm now being told everyone needs to upgrade by 2020 in England?

I'm guessing we are talking thousands of pounds, how the heck can some people comply?

If you need to upgrade can i recomend installing a Biorock system - check their website - Google
"biorock" and you should get there. Installed mine when renovating the farmhouse, it's a dead
simple non-mechanical system which just needs checking every 6 months - so far. Heard some
horror stories about other systems.
Ps - to keep the whole system in shape i do drop a sachet of muck-munchers down the bowl
once a month.

 

[colhonk]

Muck-munchers

 

[Exfarmer]

I have every sympathy regards the upgrade on the tank, particularly if you are never going to pollute the surrounding streams.
However you will find it a very cheap option compared to paying the sewage charge on your water rates.

 

[Ukjay]

just found out its compulsory and because my neighbour is selling, it needs to be done. I recon £4000 should do it, but what if I couldn't afford it? No grants or government loans. You have to pay full VAT on the plant, and apply for god damn planning permission to install!!

I actually feel they are doing the right thing here, as lot of the systems are stuffing loads of untreated effluent into the ditches etc.

For us, after researching all the tables / claims of manufacturers etc, we have bought a Klargester Bioficient 2 for our place - as I do not like the existing system (old septic tank, reed bed and field soakaway then an outlet to the ditch).
This to me was a complete disaster from the beginning, as these systems are not designed for areas that cannot accept the soakaway on clay soil, thus poorly designed install by the person whom fitted it.

From memory we paid circa £2.7k delivered, and this unit can deliver the effluent direct into the ditch, as it complies with the environmental regs for doing so. The company whom make them (Kingspan) are very good / easy to deal with, and you pay via your local builders merchants etc.

I have this to install when the floods stop, the local building regs etc is easy if you know what you are doing. Installation can be done via yourself if you know how this works - but if not, Kingspan also offer a set up option post install if you wish, for a fee (was around £350 from memory), but I have opted to do it all myself.

 

[milkloss]

Do these modern tanks need electric?. Bit of a bind if they do if you have a path/patio round the house.

 

[Ukjay]

Do these modern tanks need electric?. Bit of a bind if they do if you have a path/patio round the house.

Ours does, as you have a pump to aerate the chamber to turn the effluent / bio media over.

The Bio Rock doesnt - but they are a bit more expensive.

http://biorock.com/how-biorock-works

http://biorock.com/

 

[phillipe]

Muck-munchers

Road kill better job

 

[phillipe]

When the water companys stop pumping millions of gallons of untreated sewarage into our rivers and seas ,i might think about it

 

[Ukjay]

When the water companys stop pumping millions of gallons of untreated sewarage into our rivers and seas ,i might think about it

Two wrongs do not make it right though, and for me I aim to try and offset my impact wherever possible - and no, I am not Vegan

 

[phillipe]

Two wrongs do not make it right though, and for me I aim to try and offset my impact wherever possible - and no, I am not Vegan

My tank is absoulotly spot on all new and done to the letter of the law ,

 

[Ukjay]

My tank is absoulotly spot on all new and done to the letter of the law ,

No Comment - as obviously the law is impervious to being wrong and misguided

 

[David.]

When the water companys stop pumping millions of gallons of untreated sewarage into our rivers and seas ,i might think about it

One law for the foreign owners of our utility companies, another law for us.

 

[steveR]

As I have understand it if your property’s septic tank discharges to a watercourse, not a soakaway or drainage field, you will no longer be allowed to discharge directly to a watercourse such as a river or a stream. Septic tanks that currently discharge via a drainage field into the ground are not expected to be affected

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/general-binding-rules-small-sewage-discharge-to-a-surface-water

Our soakaway system from the old septic tank is not the worlds greatest, but I reckon a new "drainage field" will be a lot less money to put in than a posh new biodigester etc

 

[phillipe]

Our soakaway system from the old septic tank is not the worlds greatest, but I reckon a new "drainage field" will be a lot less money to put in than a posh new biodigester etc

Abso blooming loutly,not a fan of the systems ,too much too go wrong