Jump to content

SEPA permissions for soakaways.


saveasteading

Recommended Posts

Scottish Building Warrant, drainage, and SEPA No need to read further if this is of no interest as it is specific.

(SEPA is Scottish eq of Environment Agency in England)

 

I wish I could find the reference, but I think I saw that Highland Region say that they have delegated powers for soakaway approval, except that in some instances they send the proposal to SEPA.

These circumstances were where there was too slow or too fast percolation, or any variation from the normal rules.

Elsewhere though I have heard that we should be applying direct to SEPA asap.

 

We have done the trial holes and percolation tests, and it is ideal, with probably 10m of sand and cobbles (Glacier deposits)  before anything harder, and porosity of 17sec/mm.

Rainwater will be sent 4 ways to spread the benefit, and waste water will go through a digester before a separate soakaway. 

There is a burn, but no need to outfall there, and in fact that would be bad for increasing flood risk.

 

Can you advise please if we should apply to SEPA now, or let it go through the LA with the main application?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can you not ask your local building control?  Here you can phone the "duty building control officer" for a question like that.

 

I had to get permission from SEPA as we discharge to a burn and that does need granting of a permit.

 

But if you just submit your building warrant, BC will soon tell you if SEPA permission is needed and I found building control a lot easier to deal with on technical matters like this than planning ever were. They won't just throw out your building warrant, they will wait until you have permission from SEPA if it is needed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi @saveasteading  One question I have - regardless of whether or not SEPA need to be contacted regarding the soakaway, do they not need to be contacted in order to "register" the treatment plant?

The reason I say this is because when we moved in, having been signed off etc., our Council tax bill came through and it clearly showed that we were being charged for "waste water" services and the such like. When I enquired with the local council and informed them that I am "self contained" etc., they said yes not a problem but they would need to check with SEPA to see if I was registered with them. 

They did and I was, so a refund was payable and the council tax adjusted accordingly.

Perhaps a phone call to SEPA may steer you in the right direction.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, saveasteading said:

I wish I could find the reference, but I think I saw that Highland Region say that they have delegated powers for soakaway approval, except that in some instances they send the proposal to SEPA.

 

I had look but the nearest I could find is this - but its to do with Planning not Building Warrant..

 

https://www.sepa.org.uk/media/163472/water_assessment_and_drainage_assessment_guide.pdf

 

The final decision on planning approval usually rests with the local planning authority. Occasionally, however, the decision may be delegated to the Scottish Government if the planning authority’s initial decision was contrary to SEPA advice, if reason for the objection cannot be resolved, or in the event that the applicant lodges a formal appeal. 

 

But also found this written in 2001. Perhaps out of date?

 

https://www.lawscot.org.uk/members/journal/issues/vol-46-issue-03/taking-the-lid-off/

 

  • If the drainage system discharges only to land, perhaps via a soakaway, then you do not require to apply to SEPA for a discharge consent unless SEPA serves a prohibition notice upon you prohibiting you from making a discharge without a consent.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Building control will want to see all the details as will sepa - the problem is that there's only a small number of things that SEPA are actually able to process at the moment due to their cyber attack! For a simple one it is usually that you have to show building standards all the design calcs and percolation tests etc and then you just need to fill out the paperwork for registration with SEPA using the warrant reference but no idea how it's working at the moment!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, saveasteading said:

Scottish Building Warrant, drainage, and SEPA No need to read further if this is of no interest as it is specific.

(SEPA is Scottish eq of Environment Agency in England)

 

I wish I could find the reference, but I think I saw that Highland Region say that they have delegated powers for soakaway approval, except that in some instances they send the proposal to SEPA.

These circumstances were where there was too slow or too fast percolation, or any variation from the normal rules.

Elsewhere though I have heard that we should be applying direct to SEPA asap.

 

We have done the trial holes and percolation tests, and it is ideal, with probably 10m of sand and cobbles (Glacier deposits)  before anything harder, and porosity of 17sec/mm.

Rainwater will be sent 4 ways to spread the benefit, and waste water will go through a digester before a separate soakaway. 

There is a burn, but no need to outfall there, and in fact that would be bad for increasing flood risk.

 

Can you advise please if we should apply to SEPA now, or let it go through the LA with the main application?

 

In the current climate I would do a good report.. Reports are often intended for a target audience as we know.

 

Put together a report on your soakaway tests. I would aim for about 15 -20 pages.

 

Include a site plan, an arial photo if you have one, introduction / conclusion to your scheme. Identify the objective.. tell them what you are going to tell them! Reference the head documents. BRE 365 for your rain water, septic tank percolation tests to say recommendations as per SEPA Regulatory method WAT-RM-04 for the septic tank for example.. the wee 300mm holes.

 

Describe a  bit of the local geology. Surface deposits and bed rock. You can find info here on this https://mapapps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyofbritain/home.html for your accademic research. Don't include a highly technical description of the soil, just say for example, river / glacial? deposits comprising SAND and gravel, or GRAVEL and sand. Then say what this means. For all the word in capitals mean that the soil is more composed of SAND. Don't lay it on thick just explain the reasons for the capital letters.

 

Show dimensions to water courses and how the soakaway complies with boundary distance and proximity to the dwelling. If you have the will show a cross section of the ground. This can be helpfull.  Put a note on the drawing saying for example X dimension complies with Y recommendation or clause 1.2.3.

 

For all BH folk..if you have sloping ground what can happen is that rather than the water seeping into the ground and "going away" it just runs under the surface and appears as an unwanted spring further down the hill.

 

Next for both surface water and spetic tanks tests and calcs. Plenty photos.. make sure you state the weather conditions leading up to the test and during. It is not unkown for folk to test at the end of a dry spell to get stuff over the line! Make sure the photos show virgin ground.. again it's not unkown for folk to cheat. BC know this and are wary of folk doing their own DIY porosity tests. Often I'll do an extra hole or two if I can if time permits. If you have good draining ground show that it is.. this can head any queries off at the pass.

 

Now for the experienced you may wonder why I'm stating the obvious.

 

At the moment some councils are in a bind, some less so but they are all struggling. For example one council I have dealt recently took nearly 8 weeks just to consider the information in the warrant application. I wrote to them and asked "how are you getting on" Got a very pleasant phone call from the senior BC officer saying.. we are a small council, half our staff have left and we are trying to recruit. Another council processed a warrant application faster than normal!

 

It's worth producing a report that leads say a new BC recruit by the hand, write to give them confidence, give them pointers (SAND and gravel for example). They want to learn.. make your submission attractive, readable and friendly.

 

For all the crusty BH members. Imagine it was one of your kids in a new job trying to learn the ropes. A good report should tell a storey and lead the reader..yes you can write a dry report, challenging and try an impress / bully with technical knowledge..

 

@saveasteading I would stick my soakaway report in with your warrant application. You won't get your completion certificate and probably your warrant until SEPA give you the OK. Best to get all this out the way early. In Scotland there is less of a worry about overloading BC with info, we don't have arms length BC or private BC in Scotland. But don't send them rubbish as this will hack them off. Having read your posts it looks like you have a very interesting project ahead of you. In an ideal world you may want to set this up so the Senior BC officer will feel comfortable sending a young trainee / or someone (older person) that is retraining to your site in the knowledge that you are not going to chew their head off. As you have a pile of experience you could build a good rappore with the BC officer going forward.. every one is a winner!

 

Try and call SEPA and log the call.. but last time I called..they pretty much fobbed me off. I think it was because they are working from home and just can't shout over the office for advice from the seniors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, the_r_sole said:

Building control will want to see all the details as will sepa - the problem is that there's only a small number of things that SEPA are actually able to process at the moment due to their cyber attack! For a simple one it is usually that you have to show building standards all the design calcs and percolation tests etc and then you just need to fill out the paperwork for registration with SEPA using the warrant reference but no idea how it's working at the moment!

cyber attack!

 

Yes they took a sore one on that but think they have recovered to most extent, but still feeling a bit wounded!

 

Sole.. concur with the rest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks everyone.

I have no problem stretching the report, as have all the info, and it is in my comfort zone.. Good to know the importance of this element.

 

So whereas I was minimising the form filling and working calcs, I will give them it all.

 

Best get busy.

 

As to registering the sewage digester, I am thinking  that is before use, not before permissions? But I can include a reference to it, ie I know have to do it.

I am favouring Marsh Industries as have used their kit before. So I will include their technical drawings and spec too, so no loose ends.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

Thanks everyone.

I have no problem stretching the report, as have all the info, and it is in my comfort zone.. Good to know the importance of this element.

 

So whereas I was minimising the form filling and working calcs, I will give them it all.

 

Best get busy.

 

As to registering the sewage digester, I am thinking  that is before use, not before permissions? But I can include a reference to it, ie I know have to do it.

I am favouring Marsh Industries as have used their kit before. So I will include their technical drawings and spec too, so no loose ends.

 

 

 

Good stuff. Do a good friendly informative report,  you have the experience, take your contractors hat off and hold their hand, make it as easy for them as you can to check if they want.

 

Yes, reference the proposed treatment plant. One key here is to make sure you say the plant is CE approved in the main body of the report..some tanks are still not CE marked so you can get caught out here.. leads back to the the Eurocodes which the Scottish Building Standard reference. The simple way is just to copy the manufactures data sheet and drawings as an appendix to your report. Then say " or similar and apporved" as this lets you select a different tank later if need be.

 

Don't go over the score with the technical drawings.. better to include a few with your own reasoned analysis of how the tank will be installed on your site. Touch on the water table, potential flotation when getting emptied, the runs on the pipes to the tank, how you will empty it, the sampling chamber, DON'T forget to specify the manhole cover! light duty or heavy duty!

 

It all sounds like a lot of work but you'll need to produce the same info for the builder, add a few notes and change the title box.

 

You'll most likely sail through this but wrong spec for the cover and you are totally stuffed!

 

Oh and are you leaning towards the pond idea yet?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

An update

 

I asked SEPA by email for clarity.

I asked at what stage a discharge licence was sought, and whether I should send the drainage proposals to them or simply with the Warrant application.

Have had a helpful response which I will paraphrase.

 

 

Some Local authority Building Standards may consult SEPA for comments, some will not at all, some will advise applicants to contact SEPA with details and to provide our comments to them.   

 

 

The requirement to register the discharge with SEPA is  prior to it taking place, as it is the discharge from the system to the water environment, that requires authorisation.

 

Specific details such as how the ground investigations have been carried out, location, design and sizing of system are really the remit of Building Standards rather than for ourselves. 

 

Esp re the last sentence  I am taking this to say, don't send anything to us if it is straight-forward as the BCO should handle it, and we do marginal and complex stuff. And no licence until the proposals are approved and the treatment is about to be used.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...