Septic tank help needed

[kittentwo]

Hello we bought a house about 2 years ago with a septic tank. The septic tank is shared with our neighbours. It is on the land that belongs to the family of the previous owners but we own the tank. The tank is leaking on to a footpath and environmental health have been in touch. We need to sort it out urgently. We can't connect to the mains. We can't repair or replace the septic tank as it's too close to a river and from 2020 you must replace it with a water treatment plant as per environment agency. The field the tank is in backs on to a footpath this is where the tank is leaking on to. We have access on the footpath but do not own it. We need to put a pipe for new water treatment plant under footpath to river. What do we do if we canot get permission from the footpath landowner to do this. Due to the lie of the land we cannot have a soak away. Feeling very worried. All advice welcome.

Firstly, don't panic. Have the footpath land owners said anything about refusing access? If not, just ask (in writing, and get the answer in writing).

If they refuse, contact the environment agency - they can force access but you may need a solictor. As it is a environmental hazard.

Lastly, there should be something in the contract of the house about access to land to maintain and repair the tank.

I think you may be worrying unduly.

What does the title register of your house state about the septic tank and the land it is on? What was in the report your conveyancer sent you about it? Have you spoken to your neighbours about this? Have you approached the landowner?

Depending on what your rights are, you might not need to ask permission to do what is required to sort out the problems.

If the rules on having a new tank don't come in until 2020, are you sure you can't just replace the failing tank or pipework? If the rules are that what is there will have to replaced by then anyway then that's a different matter.

The water company might have powers to act which mean that even if the landowner is unco-operative, it will get sorted out. A landowner will not want their land to be contaminated so it's in their interest to work with you to resolve this. You might want to consider seeing if you can buy their land to make life easier in the longer term.

Also, if you have legal cover on your home insurance, you may be able to get legal assistance, if needed, in order to sort things out.

You could try replacing your septic tank with this

www.wplinternational.com/product/wpl-diamond-dms/

We have one, relatively easily installed by a man with a jcb, they are treatment plants, not a septic tank, they don't need a soak away and the run off can go directly into a water course.

Thank you for replying and putting my mind at rest. We are looking to replace it with a water treatment plant as by 2020 all septic tanks who's drainage fields are less than 10m away from a water course.need to be replaced. When we bought the house we were aware the septic tank was old and would at some point need replacing we just always thought we would be able to replace it with a septic tank. Our neighbours who share the tank are lovely and we are trying to resolve it together. The guy who owns the land the tank is on is also doing his best to help us. I have spoken to the agents for the owners of the footpath and they are going to ask if it is possible for us to bring our pipe through the wall and under the path. It is great to know that the environment agency may he able to help so we will see what happens many thanks I was starting to feel likee a rabbit in headlights.

Our soakaway goes right down to the Chalk bed under the clay cap. The soakaway does not go directly into a water course. We have a septic tank. We had the whole lot installed on our own land. A while ago now, but the lie of the land may not be a factor if you soak into rock/soil under your own land. Not sure if this is still allowed but going straight into a water course is not a good idea.

You get a drill rig to form the soak away. Is this type permitted? What does that suggestion do to the distance?

We are not wanting to put a septic tank discharge into the river. We are needing to install a small sewage water treatment plant as required by the environment agency. think the best route for us is discharge into the river if at all possible.This has been recommended by the supplier of the treatment plant and is also recommended on the environment agency in the binding rules.