soakaway

[Heather22]

We are having trouble with the grey water backing up into the grease trap.

We cannot find the soakaway! Plans only show the grease trap.

Last year we had work done with most of the garden dug up because of water coming into the cellar. New pipes were put in.

Here lies my question. The contractors invoice states:

'Reinstate Soakaway for grey water'.

Are we wrong in assuming from that ,that he will have dealt with all pipes leading from the grease trap to the soakaway ie; he will know where the soakaway is, and if he has 're-instated it' everything should be in working order. Thus, with a 10 year guarantee on his work, is this something that we can go back to him with saying that there is still a problem which would then be under guarantee and his responsibility or are we wrong and we have a problem.

We have already had this guy back to tell him about the problem - which he says is nothing to do with his remit - and ask him where the soakaway is. He wasn't sure where it was and pointed to an area where he thought it would be. My husband has dug down 1mx1mx1m and all there was was some slate with polythene underneath then nothing and can't find any pipes. The contractor had all this area dug up last September.

Would really appreciate knowing asap what 'Re-instate Soakaway for grey water' actually entails.

Thanks in advance
Heather22

 

[jeds]

Your contractor should certainly have left the soakaway in good working order and I would be very dissappointed if my new soakaway had stopped working after such a short period of time. However, it is almost impossible for anybody to guarantee that a soakaway will continue working for 10 years. It depends really on ground conditions and very much what goes down the pipes. Any grease, for example, would quickly stop a soakaway from working.

Did your contractor carry out percolation tests on the ground? Did you ask them to? Have you checked your grease trap to make sure it is working properly? Are you certain it is the soakaway causing the problem and not just blocked pipes? Is the contractor a soakaway specialist or just a bloke with a bucket and shovel? Is he French or Brit? Did you pay them lots of money or half a crown for a pint of Stella.?

 

[gelcoat]

Hi Heather22

I have several properties in France and it would be helpful if you could confirm was it a local or an expat.

One thing I can assure you of is that even if you tried to enforce any guarante you would fail. I had a new septic tank fitted by local company, complete fopar, had all the witnesses ect, went to court after 2 years lost and cost me 10,00 euros

 

[Heather22]

Thanks John and Ledcoat.

Contractor who is a local siret registered Expat, advertising and booked up with work didn't put in a new soakaway. He repaired broken pipes. But 're-instated soakaway for grey water' would imply to us - and knowing that he dug up all the garden to where we think the soakaway is - that he would have made sure all pipes were good from grease trap to soakaway in order to be able to put that on the invoice which I can assure you John you could by the Stella Brewery for!!!

Sounds like bad news for getting him to fullfil his responsibilities though from what you've been through Ledcoat.

Am following it up here with someone I have found on a local forum so will see what comes from that.
Heather22

 

[Nige F]

Last time I bought a pint for half a crown there wasn`t any lager in the pub

 

[wastetech]

The grey water isn't allowed to go from the grease trap to a soakaway in any case. It must be treated along with the black water in a septic tank first.

Type:
Sewage Treatment - Septic Tanks - FRANCE
into Google and the full regulations are available on a webpage.