Are You Complying with Septic Tank UK Regulations?

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Are you compliant with new uk septic tanks rulesGeneral Binding Rules (GBR) for Domestic Sewage Discharges – are you complying?

We have all seen many changes since January 1st 2020 but here is one change which you may not be aware of and which may affect you if you are the owner of a house with a septic tank.

Since the beginning of January last year new rules have come into effect which prohibit direct discharge from septic tanks to surface waters. These rules are detailed on the GOV.UK website, together with fines for non-compliance which can be substantial.

Here is just a brief summary of the General Binding Rules ;-
If your septic tank or small wastewater treatment system discharges to ground-

  • The sewage must be domestic, not commercial
  • Daily discharges must not be more than 2000 litres
  • No discharge must be within a Groundwater Source Protection Zone 1 or within 50 metres from any well, spring or borehole used to supply water for domestic or food production purposes
  • Wastewater Treatment Systems must be installed and operated according to manufacturers specifications and maintained by competent service personnel
  • When a property is sold, the seller must notify the new owner in writing describing the sewage discharge and its maintenance requirements
  • The discharge must not be allowed to cause pollution of surface water or groundwater
  • The sewage must have been treated in a septic tank or wastewater treatment system prior to discharging to the drainfield
  • Waste sludge ( And we all produce sludge ) must be safely disposed of at regular intervals by authorised waste carriers.

Rules for discharge to Surface Waters

  • Discharges from septic tanks are no longer permitted to go to surface waters and homeowners who continue to do so may face hefty fines. Instead, you must use a small wastewater treatment system, such as the Oakstown BAF System to remove contaminants and nutrients prior to discharge. So, if your septic tank is non-compliant, you must replace or upgrade it. (Septic tanks typically have a treatment efficiency of 30% or less for breaking down sewage waste compared to 97-98% for packaged wastewater treatment systems, thus providing substantially more protection for the environment )
  • Discharges must be less than 5000 litres per day and must be from domestic sources
  • Systems should be desludged regularly (we all still produce sludge!) by authorised waste carriers.
  • When a property is sold, full written details of the system and its maintenance requirements must be given to the new owner.

There are a number of other points relating to permits and nature of the receiving surface waters. Read more on the gov.uk website

If you think your septic tank may not comply, contact us for a free consultation. We work with many of the most professional installers throughout the UK. And, with a 50 year structural warranty, our tanks will last as long as most of the houses they serve.

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