Hello,
I am in the process of buying a house which has an old septic tank. The vendor doesn't know anything about it at all (so older than the 15yrs they have lived there), and they don't know where it drains to. They claim it works without problem, and is emptied once a year.
I will be getting the system surveyed to check its current condition. However, I was wondering if anyone knows what happens if/when the tank or drainage field needs replacing?
The tank is situated right next to the house, the lid being 1-2 meters away, which doesn't meet current building regs for minimum distance. The garden is only about 4 meters wide, and assuming the drainfield is under that. This is also too close to the house for current regs.
Would a replacement tank (or new treatment plant), or any new drainfield, need to be to current regs? There just isn't enough space to build them far enough away from the house and boundary.
Can a drainfield be replace in-situ if it fails, or does it need to go in a new location from the old? Again, there isn;t any extra garden to put a new one in.
I figure there must be loads of rural properties like this, with not enough land to reach current regs.
Thanks for any help!
Jason
I am in the process of buying a house which has an old septic tank. The vendor doesn't know anything about it at all (so older than the 15yrs they have lived there), and they don't know where it drains to. They claim it works without problem, and is emptied once a year.
I will be getting the system surveyed to check its current condition. However, I was wondering if anyone knows what happens if/when the tank or drainage field needs replacing?
The tank is situated right next to the house, the lid being 1-2 meters away, which doesn't meet current building regs for minimum distance. The garden is only about 4 meters wide, and assuming the drainfield is under that. This is also too close to the house for current regs.
Would a replacement tank (or new treatment plant), or any new drainfield, need to be to current regs? There just isn't enough space to build them far enough away from the house and boundary.
Can a drainfield be replace in-situ if it fails, or does it need to go in a new location from the old? Again, there isn;t any extra garden to put a new one in.
I figure there must be loads of rural properties like this, with not enough land to reach current regs.
Thanks for any help!
Jason
