Roughly 1.5milion people in the UK rely on off-grid sewage systems as they live in rural or remote areas, making connection to the main sewer network an impossibility. With that in mind, and with increasing focus on the environment and the health of our rivers, lakes and seas, it’s important to get the right water treatment solution for both you and the environment. 

Haigh Environmental is a family-run company dedicated to helping improve the water quality of rivers and lakes around the UK. From individual homeowners to water companies, contractors and developers, we work with you as much or as little as you need. We can help review, plan and design the sewage system improvements you have in mind, provide the assets and deliverables you might need, carry out the installation and continue withmaintenance, or complete repairs, based on your specific requirements.

There are lots of different approaches and for each option it’s worth getting into more detail than this overview, but the most common update routes for a non-compliant or polluting sewage system are broadly:  

Installing a modern septic tank 

The most traditional choice of septic tanks is still a workable proposition depending on your circumstances. It’s an underground, water-tight container usually made fiberglass or tough plastic. It works by taking all your household wastewater and letting the solids settle on the bottom, while the liquid flows out of the tank into a drainfield. The liquid then filters naturally through the soil before eventually making its way back into the water cycle. This is a like-for-like replacement for the commonly found brick or concrete septic tanks which are reaching end-of-life around the country. 

Package treatment plants 

A package treatment plant is a self-contained, pre-manufactured underground system that treats wastewater on site. The process is more advanced than a septic tank, with various in-built biological processes, in-built media – which has a very high surface area for ‘good bacteria’ to grow on – and most likely an aeration system to supply oxygen to the bacteria. These bacteria rapidly break down waste into their basic components and so the final treated product can even be cleaner than river water. Properly treated effluent is suitable for discharge to the environment, ground or a watercourse. 

There are a wide range of treatment plants available, and all those on the British Water approved listing have been put through a certain level of testing. If the right size is installed, it will produce compliant effluent for normal situations. There are, of course, areas of special designations – environmentally sensitive zones – which will require more particular consideration. Main product brands such as Marsh, Klargester, Tricel and FujiClean, for example, will all have standard treatment products as well as more advanced versions to be able to accommodate more particular scenarios. 

Mains connection (typically using a pumping station) 

If you’re within ‘striking distance’ of a water company’s foul drainage system then thisoption should be seriously considered. You may well need to install a small pumping station if there’s not enough slope for a ‘gravity’ drain run, and you’ll need to pay the water company‘s sewage rates, which are not applicable if you’re ‘off grid’. However, you and future owners of your property won’t have the responsibility and costs associated with owning and running a treatment tank. It could also mean your water company will be more involved in helping find and fix any pollution event that happens on your property.

Things to consider

 However you choose to approach your project, there has never been more information available online and through tools like ChatGPT. If you’re engaging with experts, builders, contractors and/or planning specialists, make sure you’re being clear about your priorities, what’s important to you and what aspects you need help with. Unlike gas installers (with the Corgi system) and electrical work (NICE), drainage system installation is not an activity that’s specifically regulated, so keep an eye out for what ongoing support is being offered, insurances, completion paperwork, building control and environment agency approvals. 

To pick a specific point, a manufacturer’s warranty is likely to depend on an installation being done in line with the manual and – take it from me – it’s very difficult to move an underground tank that has been encased in concrete!

It‘s very easy to see pollution issues as being a blame game but in reality most people just want to do the right thing. And problems with pollution or non-compliance of your wastewater system aren’t necessarily the homeowners’ fault either. But whether the issue is historical or age-related, it’s something that needs the right amount of attention at the right time. 

Haigh Environmental are one of many specialists around the UK that are proud to have British Water trained and accredited engineers, and we aim to treat and respect our customers how we would want to be treated ourselves. Whatever your situation, we would love the opportunity to work with you and help find a solution that’s right for you, your budget and the environment.

Get in touch at [email protected] or 01773 767612