Do you need planning permission for a sewage treatment plant?
Replacing a septic tank is usually permitted development, but building regulations still apply and some sites need consent. Here is what applies when.
Read the guidePractical, no-nonsense guidance on septic tanks, sewage treatment plants, drains and off-mains drainage — written by the team that installs and services them.
These are practical guides to owning an off-mains drainage system, written by the people who empty, install, service and repair them. No sales copy and no scare stories — what the job actually involves, what it costs, what the rules require and what to do when something goes wrong. New guides publish every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
If your question is not answered here, call 07884 111 641. Advice costs nothing and we would rather answer a question than attend an emergency.
Replacing a septic tank is usually permitted development, but building regulations still apply and some sites need consent. Here is what applies when.
Read the guideRoots find old clay joints, thicken into a mass and catch everything passing. Jetting clears them; unless the joint is repaired they come back.
Read the guideA percolation test measures how fast your soil accepts water, and that single figure sets the size of your drainage field — or rules one out entirely.
Read the guideTwo or three houses on one septic tank is common off the mains. Here is who the rules hold responsible, who pays for emptying, and what to agree in writing.
Read the guideTank size, access and how far the hose has to run decide the price far more than your postcode. What a tanker visit involves and what adds to it.
Read the guideWipes, fats and bleach cause most of the septic tank problems we attend. What genuinely harms an off-mains system, and what is perfectly fine.
Read the guideTank size, access and how far the hose has to run decide the price far more than your postcode. What a tanker visit involves and what adds to it.
Read the guideWipes, fats and bleach cause most of the septic tank problems we attend. What genuinely harms an off-mains system, and what is perfectly fine.
Read the guideSlow drains, gurgling, smell and a green patch over the drainage field all show up before sewage does. Here is what each sign means and how urgent it is.
Read the guideMost domestic septic tanks need emptying once a year — but tank size, household size and what goes down the drain all change that.
Read the guideReplacing a septic tank is usually permitted development, but building regulations still apply and some sites need consent. Here is what applies when.
Read the guideTwo or three houses on one septic tank is common off the mains. Here is who the rules hold responsible, who pays for emptying, and what to agree in writing.
Read the guideOff-mains drainage now comes up in every sale. The questions the buyer’s solicitor asks, and the paperwork to have ready before you list.
Read the guideIf your septic tank discharges to a ditch or stream it must be replaced or redirected. What the General Binding Rules require and when they bite.
Read the guideA percolation test measures how fast your soil accepts water, and that single figure sets the size of your drainage field — or rules one out entirely.
Read the guideA waterlogged drainage field is the most expensive part of an off-mains system to fix. What causes it, how to spot it early, and what a rebuild costs.
Read the guideThe two look similar from the garden but work differently, need different maintenance and face different rules. How to tell which one you own.
Read the guideRoots find old clay joints, thicken into a mass and catch everything passing. Jetting clears them; unless the joint is repaired they come back.
Read the guideA camera survey earns its money in three situations: buying a property, repeat blockages and insurance claims. What it shows and what you get.
Read the guideA few sensible checks will clear a fair number of blocked drains without a call-out — and the rest will tell you quickly that you need a jetting unit.
Read the guideAn alarm usually means a failed pump, a stuck float or a rising level. What to check, what to stop doing, and how urgent it really is.
Read the guideA proper service covers the mechanical parts and the biological process, not just a look in the lid. What should happen, and what the report should say.
Read the guideVariable occupancy, farmyard waste and multiple buildings all change how an off-mains system behaves. What catches farms and holiday lets out.
Read the guideThree guides a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning. Each one publishes itself on its date — there is no newsletter to join and nothing to subscribe to, though there is an RSS feed if you use one.
They come from the team that does the work — over 45 years of emptying, installing, servicing and repairing off-mains systems across Derbyshire, Sheffield and Nottinghamshire. Where a guide gives a figure, it is what we actually see rather than a number copied from elsewhere.
Yes. Call 07884 111 641 any time, including evenings and weekends. If the same question comes up often enough it usually turns into one of these guides.
The rules apply across England, and most of the practical advice applies anywhere off the mains. The local detail — ground conditions, access, who to call — is written for Derbyshire, South Yorkshire and north Nottinghamshire.
Free, honest advice on your tank, plant or drains — 24 hours a day.