Steps to Take if Installing a New Wastewater Treatment Plant

INSTALLING A SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT or SEPTIC TANK - Steps to take in the right order

If you're thinking of installing a sewage treatment plant or septic tank we'd recommend you follow the rough steps below:

1. Research the different types of sewage treatment plant and septic tanks online to get an understanding of the products available and their benefits and faults. There is no such thing as a perfect plant - not yet.

2. Call us to get informed advice on which treatment plants are suitable for your particular situation and use.

3. Ring your local council to see if they require a Planning Permission Application - some do, some don't.

3. Arrange a site visit by your local Building Regulations officer at the local council so he can asses the site and discuss your plans. Find out if you have a ditch that you can drain sewage treatment plant effluent into. Failing that, if you intend to use a soakaway for effluent disposal to ground, do the Groundwater Source Protection Zone search, the Trial Site assessment Hole Test and the Percolation Tests to make sure that the land is suitable.

4. Arrange a site visit by our qualified staff to assess the specific location of your treatment plant and drains. Once the site visit has been performed, we will be able to give you a good idea of the costs involved.

5. Make sure that your installation complies with the General Binding Rules for Sewage Discharges. If not, you need to apply for a Discharge Permit from the Environment Agency.

    (a)    to do this, you will need to make sure you are not in a groundwater source protection zone by telephoning 01759 369915.

    (b)    once you have confirmed (a), we will guide you to the Bespoke Permit Form on the internet and help you fill it out. We will also help you find your Grid Reference number for the form.

    (c)    Print the form and send it off to the address on the bottom of the form. 

6.  Arrange a date for installation with our qualified staff.  We will be able to discuss what requirements we may have for this installation.

7. Order the sewage treatment plant. This can take up to 2 weeks for delivery, depending on the make.

8.  Tell the local Building Regulations Officer about the dates for installation so he can inspect the installation and pass it.

9.  Installation is completed, conforms to all the rules and regulations and has been signed off by the Building Inspector with building regs consent. Treatment plant is commissioned for use by the installer.

10. Take out a Maintenance Agreement. This is ESSENTIAL for compliance with the General Binding Rules.

If everything goes well, all the steps above could be performed in the space of 3 weeks. The process is not complicated and, provided the site conforms to the Environment Agency and Building Regulation requirements, you should have no problems installing the treatment plant.