Septic tanks are vital for many people living in rural areas, helping to manage household waste in places where there is limited or no access to mains sewerage. Here, we take a look at their function and the regulations that surround them. Failure to comply with the rules can result in hefty fines for owners.
What are septic tanks?
These tanks are underground installations designed to treat domestic wastewater without the need to be connected to main sewers. They separate solid waste and allow bacteria to break it down before liquid effluent can be discharged, usually onto a drainage field. It is thought that as many as 500,000 properties in the UK have septic tanks.
Septic Tank Regulations
Septic tank regulations in the UK were launched in 2015 in a bid to protect public health and the environment. In 2020, the regulations were updated to prohibit effluent discharge from tanks directly into rivers and other surface water, making drainage fields a necessity.
The rules govern factors such as discharges, repair and size, and failure to comply can lead to owners being fined. You can read about these rules on the government website here:
Installing and Maintaining Septic Tanks
Newly installed septic tanks are regulated by capacity and design rules dictated by your property. Septic tanks must also be registered with the Environment Agency.
Owners must maintain tanks and ensure efficient operation and that unnecessary pollution is prevented. This may include ensuring that drains are operating efficiently. If there are issues, you may consider CCTV drain surveys offered by drain experts such as www.drainpower.co.uk/drainage-services/cctv-drain-surveys/.
New Technology
Regulatory compliance can be helped by the use of new technology and more environmentally friendly solutions for waste management. These include such features as reduced contamination of groundwater and enhanced nutrient breakdown.
New septic tanks are now also often created using the likes of glass-reinforced plastic. Materials such as this make installation easier and offer more resistance to corrosion than traditional concrete.