Soakaways are installed to manage any surface water from either a rainwater or sewer system.

It can be a highly effective way to deal with any surface water which collects in the surrounding ground/earth.

Soakaways are important to control the levels of surface water, avoiding flooding from excess rainfall as well as other things.

Domestic Soakaways are most commonly found in the rear garden adjacent to a wastewater system, such as a Septic tank or a Sewage Treatment Plant. You will know if you have a Soakaway if you follow draining rainwater to the bottom of a garden, you will most likely come across a dip in the earth. This is a very good sign your property has a Soakaway.

Maintaining a Soakaway is important to the environment which surrounds it. When you have issues with your Soakaway it can be quite easy to notice. When inspecting your Soakaway, be on the lookout for waterlogging. This is the best indication that your soakaway is not dispersing the water effectively enough.

It’s advised that you regularly check for issues.

It is extremely important to know where a soakaway cannot be used before looking to install one.

The Environmental Agency has specific general building rules when it comes down to installing a Soakaway. Their regulations have changed recently for Septic Tanks, so if you already own a septic tank, click here to view the updated regulations.

Soakaways are not well known for handling wastewater drainage. This being said, your Septic Tank or Sewage Treatment Plant will have its own process to break down the effluent so that the Soakaway isn’t affected. Bacteria in the systems take care of the majority of the work when breaking down your waste, but having a good clean airflow into the tank will help feed the bacteria in order to carry out their job efficiently.

Once this process is complete, the waste that is discharged is environmentally friendly and should cause no harm to the environment that surrounds it.

If you wish to learn more about a soakaway, please feel to contact us at any time on 01646 629089