2020 Regulations for Septic Tanks

Updates to septic tank regulations in England and Wales

Who needs to know?

Any one with any off-mains drainage system needs to be aware of this really. Under the new regulations put in place by the Environment Agency, any homeowner in England & Wales, will now be responsible for the installation & maintenance to any sewage treatment plant on their property.

If you currently have a septic tank that is discharging directly into a ditch or watercourse (river, lake, stream) this is polluting the surface water as a result of foul discharge, and the Environment Agency will demand you upgrade to a new system such as a sewage treatment plant. This upgrade needs to be in place by January 2020.

What can you do?

To find out if you need to do anything, you can call CM Environmental Ltd on 0115 684 8356. We can offer the best solution for your site. This could be any of the following:

* Offer you a service contract by British Water Accredited Engineers that ensure the safety and efficiency of your tank, and ensures you are adhering to the Environment Agency's Binding Rules.

* Upgrade your septic tank with a small sewage treatment plant. With this, the treatment takes place inside the unit so the discharge is considered safe to discharge to a ditch or watercourse.

* Connect to the mains sewer via pumping station (if at all possible)

* Size and install a drainage field or soakaway system depending on the site and ground conditions. We can undertake a percolation test to design the right size soakaway to treat your flow, specifically for your site's ground conditions.

All of our staff have been fully trained on the new Environment Agency septic tank guidelines and our engineers are British Water accredited, for further reassurance.