BigYin

Thanks, everybody. We have discussed alternative drainage with another farmer with a neighbouring field; he is replacing some drainage that runs across another field. We are considering splitting the cost three ways. This avoids the existing soakaway completely. I will need to ask SEPA for an amendment, they might decline! My lawyer is considering options for recovering costs; however, we must weigh this with our expenses to bring legal proceedings. I am looking into solar and wind power for the pump, but it's a 230v 60w linear air compressor, an ET100a; there isn't anything available to directly power, so we'd need an overrated panel or wind turbine, then have to step up the voltage. This means more parts to protect from water ingress and potential failure. This doesn't seem worth it. Having our own plant is a good long-term solution but this would leave the neighbour with all the problems, and I am not prepared to do that.

Hi, Everyone; thank you for the replies! I will try to answer all the questions. The treatment plant sits in a field behind both houses, owned by a neighbour. Drainage from both houses flows down a shared access road into the field to the plant inlet. The soakaway is nothing more than a 20-year-old rubble drain; it’s end of life. It is also shared among four houses, two using the treatment plant and two others with individual septic tanks. The effluent exits the plant outflow through an 8-inch polypipe and down to the soakaway. The soakaway drains across the entrance to another field, then down a drainage ditch along the road to a wee burn at the bottom of the hill. This is the agreed route with SEPA. The house is self-built by the original owner, it had a 7-year architect certificate which has expired. The house was completed in 2017 and is only 7.5 years old. There is no factoring or agreement for shared maintenance of the plant between the two houses or all four for the drainage field. All the neighbours are friendly, and we have been discussing it together, but we’ve not got to the money aspect, so communication may break down. Marsh has been excellent. 3 visits to the site, lots of helpful advice. The plant has made it into the hall of shame and is used as an example of how not to do it! Fitting our own is an option, however, that leaves my neighbour literally “in the shit” and I would rather resolve together. This would also necessitate redoing all the civils under the access road and redirecting them, which may not be a viable option due to the location of a garage, underground gas tank and the house! I am in contact with the guy who built it and I know his new address, however, he built the houses using a “building company” which was c/o his families other business. I am discussing this with my lawyer presently. Paying for someone to visit is not an issue. However, others have come and gone, and they won’t even return my calls. I guess I lack confidence in the supposed “experts” who give their opinions rather than resolutions. I have been trying to resolve this since Jan 2023, when I first contacted SEPA for help. Turns out I have more info than them since they were hacked and lost loads of documents. I was looking for the percolation test results, but nobody has them. We have had the tank emptied several times since April this year to reduce the smell and outflow. I think that's everything. Sketch attached.

Hi all. I’m brand new and need help. I bought a self build (1 of 2) with a shared treatment plant (marsh 12 person with linear air pump). The guy who built both houses sold the second and moved away. Turns out the treatment plant has been installed incorrectly. It constantly floods and the media balls get pushed out the top, the air pump is broken(water ingress), the electrical supply is via a normal rubber cable (not swa) so shorts out. The plant is connected to rainwater drainage and a soak away, which is 20/25 years old and raw sewage is running out the field onto a road. There have been complaints, after first one I got the pump working but with the rain this summer the plant flooded again, the pump is wrecked and the supply cable is ruined and needs replaced. It’s not even in conduit, just buried under the garden. I have been trying to fix this for nearly 2 years. Everyone who comes to look gives me a different answer. 1. you need to redo everything. £25k. 2. I’m not touching that. 3. you need a mechanical tank, those blowers are shite. 4. I’ll sell you parts and you can do it yourself. £1.5k 5. I can fix it but it’ll cost you for my visit. 6. marsh? They’re rubbish, you want a klargester. How do I resolve this!