Installing septic tank

[dave w]

Are there any building regs. re installing a septic tank in a garden to serve a new house eg min depth,distance from house,access for emptying,foundation bed it must be laid on etc.grateful for any help.

[James.Q]

lots of regs but heres the ones i know of .There is enough open land available to accommodate a sufficient area for the distribution drains forming the drainage field and to enable the tank to be suitably located away from the property so as not to cause a nuisance.
The site is not sloping towards a boundary, which may cause a nuisance to an adjoining land owner.
The drainage field is at least 10m from any watercourse and 50m from any well, borehole or spring.
It is also good practice for tanks to be sited at least 15m from any dwelling and within 10m of a vehicular access to facilitate desludging and emptying.
Access to tanks is possible without passing through buildings, driving over the drainage field or causing hazards to occupiers. (Access via an open covered space is permissible).
The site should not be required for a use, which might affect the drainage field at a later date.

[eazybarra man]

Spot on JQ, but check with your local BCO as regs do vary from council to council.
Some will insist on a herring bone soakaway on outlet, it depends on the council.
Also make sure you install as per manufacturers guidlines in accordance with your soil conditions. It is not uncommon for tanks to pop out of the ground if not installed properly.

[dave w]

thanks to you both for your prompt and helpful replies

[eazybarra man]

Nae bother Dave, thats what the forums for.

[Suggers]

We had to get special permission for a vertical soakaway - didn't have room for the herringbone layout - JCB with extra long arm did the job.

[matt h]

reminds me of a little job we did in canada when i was just a bairn...Two diesel tanks welded together and miles of drainage ditches all dug through an old glazier plain... like trying to dig through armour plate. Hands were raw meat but we got the job done. It was nice to have indoor plumbing and a decent loo... The nearest neighbour was about amile away, and we used to have to pump water from an old stand pipe in the yard before...:laugh: