Soakaway septic tank

[SnackAttack]

I have a septic tank and soakaway system. This system has gone wrong and grey smelly water has been seeping into next doors garden. Environmental Health have been out and said that it needs sorting.

I have asked a builder friend to put in a new soakaway further up the garden (away from neighbours) as it appears this is knackered on the old system.
My question is do I need Building regs to install this new soakaway or do porosity tests?

I do not have any info on the old system as it was in when we moved here. Not even sure if old system had porosity tests done or Building Regs!

Any help appreciated.

 

[jeds]

You do need building regs but before you do that you need a consent to discharge from the Environment Agency. B regs won't look at it without the consent.

In order to determine the size and design of the soakaway you will need to carry out a percolation test. This involves digging holes of x size and depth, filling with water and measuring how much water soaks away in a given time. The EA will want this for their consent.

 

[mikric]

You do not need a Consent to Discharge from the Environment Agency any more for discharges to soakaway less than 2 cubic metres per day (10 persons). This came into effect last February 2009.
Any links for this info ?

 

[wastetech]

As of 6th April 2010, ALL septic tanks must now be registered with the Environment Agency, either for an exemption or a Permit to Dischrge. It does not matter how long the tank has been there, you must register it.

Rules change all the time.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Instead of just raking up old threads that conveniently show links to your company, why not add a little about how a homeowner would go about registering and how someone installing a new one would go about doing so?