S P Bardwell are here to help when it comes to the new Septic Tank regulations 2020

Homeowners with septic tanks that discharge directly into ditches, streams, canals, rivers, surface water, drains or any other type of water course will need to replace or upgrade their drainage either when they sell their property or before 1 January 2020 whichever is sooner.

Homeowners are responsible for their choice, installation and maintenance of their wastewater system under a new code of practice introduced by the Environment Agency. They have a legal responsibility to minimise the impact of their sewage waste if they manage it within the bounds of their property e.g. with a septic tank or sewage treatment plant (Binding Rules – England, DEFRA, January 2015).

ALL septic tanks that currently ultimately discharge into watercourses will have to be either:

• 1/Replaced using a sewage treatment plant with full BS EN 12566-3 Certification or
• 2/The discharge to the watercourse stopped and diverted to a drainfield, designed and constructed to the current British Standard BS6297 2007