Do borehole soakways work? Need an expert to look at BGS reports if possible!

[nowtie]

If anyone has ever had a company drill a borehole soakaway can you share your experiences? Wouldn't they just be finding water at certain depths?

 

I have approached a few drilling companies and received such a mixed bag of opinions which go like this:

 

1) X geotechnical company tell me a no, a borehole soakaway wouldn't work on the site

2) As above and they'd struggle to see it working as we're on Mercia mudstone

3) X Services said they'd need a hydrologist to do a water simulation report before doing anything

4) XX Drilling say a yes it would work at a depth of around 60m

 

I attach the area BGS survey borehole records, does anyone have any expertise in this area? Would be great to get some feedback as this looks like my only option for surface water soakaway since our perc tests have failed (clay soil), Highways have said no and won't even take a call from us and the Water company has said no as well to us discharging surface water into the foul soakaway. So I'm now totally up the creek without a paddle

 

[Mr Punter]

As this is an existing site with a dwelling you may be able to claim that you are reducing run-off by using a pond or water butts.

[nowtie]

4 minutes ago, Mr Punter said:

As this is an existing site with a dwelling you may be able to claim that you are reducing run-off by using a pond or water butts.

Thanks for responding. Yes there WAS an existing dwelling which we have now demolished ourselves but that still doesn't solve the issue of the new dwelling in the garden of the demolished dwelling which still needs the surface water condition discharged by planning. No space for a pond and even if we proposed water butts, we'd still need to demonstrate where the excess stormwater would go in case of sudden storm surges that overwhelmed the water butts if you understand what I mean?

[Mr Punter]

Where does the water go now?  Unless you have increased the impermeable area in your proposals I can't see how you are adding to the problem.

[nowtie]

4 minutes ago, Mr Punter said:

Where does the water go now?  Unless you have increased the impermeable area in your proposals I can't see how you are adding to the problem.

For the existing dwelling (well the one we demolished..) we had CCTV surveys which concluded the surface water just went into the ground and then we assumed that then went into the highways gully drain at the front of the property. We tried to this argument with highways but they rejected it and said we'd need. See below:

 

The Highway Authority have advised they will not be in a position to authorise the connections from the site
or the field ditch connection into highway drainage without evidence of a legal right of discharge as they do
not allow private connections into the highway drainage network. This position will not alter without evidence
being presented which authorises these connections.
It is requested that an alternative drainage strategy that does not include the use of highway drainage is
provided.

[Alan Ambrose]

Hi, reading back, did you ever have a soil investigation on your own site? I see the mention of sandstone on some of the records above and wonder whether there's any prospect of finding that? If you have a JCB, I think I might be inclined to dig the deepest hole I can in the extremities of the plot and look carefully at the spoil as it comes out. Anything remotely sandy may well signal success. 

[joe90]

I suggested this on their other thread……

[Alan Ambrose]

Ah