The 2020 Septic Tank Rules Explained

If you own a rural or off-mains property, the 2020 septic tank rules are the single most important thing to understand — especially if you are buying or selling. Here is the plain-English version.

What changed in 2020?

Since 1 January 2020, under the Environment Agency’s General Binding Rules, a septic tank is no longer allowed to discharge directly into a watercourse — that means a stream, river, ditch or any running water. The reason is simple: the liquid leaving a basic septic tank is not clean enough to go straight into open water.

What do you have to do?

If your septic tank currently discharges to a watercourse, you must replace or upgrade it. In practice that usually means one of two things:

• Install a sewage treatment plant — this cleans the water to a high enough standard to discharge to a watercourse legally.
• Connect to a drainage field (soakaway) — so the liquid soaks away into the ground instead, provided your soil can take it.

How do I know if my system discharges to a watercourse?

It is not always obvious. If you are not sure where your tank discharges, that is exactly what we check. We will assess your existing setup and tell you whether it is compliant and, if not, the most cost-effective way to put it right.

We handle the lot

From assessing your current system to installing a compliant treatment plant or drainage field and liaising with building control, we take care of the whole job. No jargon, no surprises.