Is Your Septic Tank 2020 Ready?

RA Dalton Ltd are the Klargester number one accredited installer covering the whole of the UK.

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If you are responsible for a property that has a septic tank (owner, tenant or shared ‘operator’) or are buying a property with a septic tank, you need to be aware of an upcoming legal obligation to upgrade by 2020 which might affect you.

Please use this information to determine if you will be required to take action towards compliance before 2020 to avoid breaching regulations and incurring an unwanted fine of up to £100,000.

New Septic Tank Regulations: Will This Affect You?

New septic tank regulations under the Environment Agency’s ‘General Binding Rules’ came into force on 1 January 2015.

Under the new Rules, if you have a septic tank that discharges directly to a surface water (stream, ditch, river etc.)  you MUST replace or upgrade your septic tank to a full sewage treatment plant by 1 January 2020 or when you sell your property, (if it is before this date).

If your current sewage treatment system has EN12566-3 certification, this means it is legal and safe to discharge into a watercourse and no action should be required.

Septic tanks that currently discharge via a drainage field into the ground are not expected to be affected.

It is your responsibility, as the owner of the septic tank or sewage treatment system, to ensure you comply with these rules. If you are unsure whether or not your sewage effluent is discharged to surface water or would like further information RA Dalton is happy to give advice and support throughout the process. Call our friendly office team on 01388 537030 now!

Wales & Scotland

If your property resides in Scotland or Wales, you MUST register your septic tank or sewage treatment plant with either SEPA (Scotland) or Natural Resources (Wales) before 2020. In Wales you will require a Consent of Discharge for any discharge to ground via a drain field or watercourse. 

How To Become Compliant

There are three main ways in which you can comply with the new regulations – each option will have site specific conditions to consider:

The new legislation aims to have a positive effect on our environment. Your septic tank must meet the new, higher standards. This includes being the correct size, installed correctly, regularly emptied and maintained. These standards are available to find at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/general-binding-rules-small-sewage-discharge-to-the-ground.  However, if your septic tank was installed before 1983, then this was before any British standards were in place and your tank should  not require any alterations, however to ensure clarity, we would advise that you contact the Environment Agency direct https://www.gov.uk/permits-you-need-for-septic-tanks/contact

As always, there are a number of further restrictions and exemptions that may apply. If this rule change applies to your property, we’re happy to help you decide what to do next and, of course, The Environment Agency are always on hand to help.

We’d love to hear from you.

Call RA Dalton today on 01388 537030 for expert help & advice.

Get In Touch

Durham Office

01388 537030

Burtreeford
Bishop Auckland
County Durham
DL13 1DB

Crook
Office

01388 537030

Unit 10c, Beechburn Industrial Estate, Crook, County Durham, DL15 8RA

Glasgow Office

01698 827628

Office 60 East Kilbride Business Centre
14 Stroud Rd
East Kilbride
Glasgow G75 0YA

Chesterfield Office

01246 865412

Unit 2, Midway Business Centre
Bridge Street Industrial Estate
Clay Cross , Chesterfield
S45 9NU

Durham Office

01388 537030

Burtreeford
Bishop Auckland
County Durham
DL13 1DB

Crook Office

01388 537030

Unit 10c,
Beechburn Industrial Estate,
Crook,
County Durham, DL15 8RA

Glasgow Office

01698 827628

Office 60
East Kilbride Business Centre
14 Stroud Rd
East Kilbride
G75 0YA

Chesterfield Office

01246 865412

Unit 2, Midway Business Centre
Bridge Street Industrial Estate
Clay Cross, Chesterfield
S45 9NU

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