Septic Tanks, Cesspits and Small Sewage Treatment Plants

One of the problems we have with the River Char (and the streams that run into it) is the fact that many properties in our parishes are not connected to the mains drainage system.

Faulty, leaking and overflowing septic tanks, cesspits and sewage treatment plants are responsible for a significant amount of pollution in the river (the other main source is agricultural land management practices). 

From January 1 2020, it became illegal for any septic tank in England to discharge effluent directly into a watercourse such as a river, stream or pond; any that do​ must either be replaced or upgraded.

We have prepared two leaflets summarising the key things you can do to look after your domestic sewage system and make sure it doesn't contribute to polluting the river. You can download the short, A5 leaflet here and the longer, more detailed leaflet (with a case study) here.
You can also watch the detailed 'Septic Tanks and the Environment' presentation by Ali Morse from the Watercress and Winterbournes meeting in January 2023.
Or read on for the detail:

Your sewage – Your river

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Important information for households with septic tanks & small sewage treatment plants
 
What are septic tanks and small sewage treatment plants? If your home is not connected to the mains sewage system, your toilets, bath, showers, sinks and washing machine will drain into one of the following:

  • A CESSPIT / CESSPOOL - the oldest system where raw sewage is stored in a tank without being treated. There is no outlet.
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  • A SEPTIC TANK - an underground tank (usually glass reinforced plastic, but older tanks can be brick or concrete) where solids sink to the bottom forming sludge and liquid flows from the top into a drainage field where bacteria treat it as it soaks away. This is the most common system in the UK.
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  • A SMALL SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT - like a septic tank but uses electricity to aerate the bacteria. They are better at treating waste, so they can discharge treated sewage into a drainage field or directly into flowing water. Most installations in recent years have been sewage treatment plants.

Tips to save you money and keep our river clean...
Faulty and overflowing cesspits, septic tanks and treatment plants cause serious river pollution. Looking after your tank or treatment plant will keep our river cleaner and safer and save you money in the long run.
If you have a holiday let, please make sure visitors/staff/cleaners know these tips and display this flyer in the kitchen and bathroom.

5 top tips to keep your system working well:
  1. Don't put fats, cooking oils, paint, bleach or harsh chemicals down the drain or down your toilet – they kill bacteria that break down the waste.
  2. Use phosphate-free cleaners and detergents that say they are suitable for septic tanks (products like Ecover, Magnum from Aldi, Bio-D, Method and Ecozone are worth considering.)
  3. Check for signs of pollution like sewage smells, pools of water, sludge, foam, lush weeds or grey fungus around your tank and in nearby streams/ditches. If you spot any of these, call a specialist for help.
  4. Don't flush sanitary towels or other sanitary items, nappies, 'flushable' wipes or similar objects down the toilet as they can block the system
  5. Make a note when you have your tank emptied and set a reminder for a year later. Only use a registered waste carrier (check online).

Other sources of help:  
Ali Morse gave Hampshire's Watercress and Winterbournes group a fantastic talk on Septic Tanks and the Environment in January 2023.

You can see the presentation slides here.  Below are links to further resources:
 
•       Legal requirements 
•       General Binding Rules
•       Discharges to surface water 
•       Discharges to groundwater 
•       Apply for a Permit: 
•       British Water Accredited Engineer list 
•       Natural England Report 
•       Ethical Consumer Dishwasher Detergent Review 
•       State of our Rivers Report 
•       Water UK ‘21st Century Rivers Report 
•       Environment Agency WFD Data 
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ALL TYPES OF TANKS NEED TO BE EMPTIED REGULARLY!

What are the rules?
  1. Have your system emptied by a registered waste carrier at least every 2 years and preferably every year (some modern sewage treatment plants can be emptied less often). Ask the people emptying your tank for further advice on your particular tank.
  2. If you discharge over 2,000 litres of treated sewage per day into the ground or 5,000 litres to flowing water, you need a permit. Calculate how much your discharges at www.gov.uk/small-sewage-rules
  3. If you install a new system, contact the Environment Agency to see if you need a permit. New systems must meet British Standard 12566
  4. If you sell your property, tell the buyer in writing that it has a cesspit, septic tank or small sewage treatment plant. If you're selling a House with a Septic Tank, read this article from Today's Conveyancer or this one from Renovateme.co.uk
 
If you need more information, are unable to follow the rules, are worried your system may be causing pollution or want to check if your system needs a permit, go to www.gov.uk/small-sewage-rules 

If you’d like to receive an independent health check of your septic tank, please get in touch.  We’re currently looking at ways we could offer this service.  If we are successful in securing funding to do it, we’ll get back in touch to work out next steps.  It would be helpful to have an idea of the level of interest to support our search for funding. Contact: [email protected]   

To contact the Environment Agency:
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 03708 506 506 (8am to 6pm, Mon to Fri)
Incident hotline: 0800 80 70 60 (24 hours, 7 days a week)

Defra's list of companies registered to empty your tank, is here