New 2020 Guidelines

If you are responsible for a property that has a septic tank (owner, tenant or shared ‘operator’) or are buying a property with a septic tank, you need to be aware of an upcoming legal obligation to upgrade by 2020 which might affect you.

Please use this information to determine if you will be required to take action towards compliance before 2020 to avoid breaching regulations and incurring an unwanted fine of up to £100,000.

New Septic Tank Regulations: Will This Affect You?

New septic tank regulations under the Environment Agency’s ‘General Binding Rules’ came into force on 1 January 2015.

Under the new Rules, if you have a septic tank that discharges directly to a surface water (stream, ditch, river etc.) you MUST replace or upgrade your septic tank to a full sewage treatment plant by 1 January 2020 or when you sell your property, (if it is before this date).

If your current sewage treatment system has EN12566-3 certification, this means it is legal and safe to discharge into a watercourse and no action should be required.

Septic tanks that currently discharge via a drainage field into the ground are not expected to be affected.

It is your responsibility, as the owner of the septic tank or sewage treatment system, to ensure you comply with these rules. If you are unsure whether or not your sewage effluent is discharged to surface water or would like further information MPS Installations is happy to give advice and support throughout the process.

Call our friendly office team on 01282 412054 now.