WCI’s Brad Taylor in Farmers Weekly on Free Septic Tank Upgrades

Brad Taylor, MD of WCI Group, features in a Farmers Weekly article on how farmers could get a free septic tank upgrade through nutrient neutrality schemes.

The piece covers how the scheme works, who qualifies and why timing matters. Read our highlights below or go to the full article.

Why Old Septic Tanks Matter

Since 2019, nutrient neutrality rules have required new housing developments in affected catchments to ensure they don’t contribute to further nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in protected water habitats. 

Brad discussed how the average septic tank contributes to this pollution, explaining, “The typical septic tank discharges approximately 1.0 kg of phosphate annually into our rivers. Multiply this across hundreds of properties, and the environmental impact becomes significant.”

WCI offers schemes to help developers offset this, also offering free septic tank upgrades to eligible homeowners in Somerset. The scheme is funded by developers who purchase phosphate credits, where that money covers the cost of an upgrade.

What Farmers Could Get

Many septic tanks used by farmers could be considered non-compliant according to Brad Taylor, who states, “Around 60% of septic tank systems would be considered non-compliant by the Environment Agency.”

A replacement system can cost as much as £25,000. Through WCI’s free septic tank replacement scheme, eligible owners don’t pay for the installation.

Brad is upfront about WCI’s current scheme, explaining that it isn’t an instant process, “While you can register with us at any time, the pace of installations is dictated by the planning system and when developers pay for any phosphate credits that they require as part of the planning consent for their development.”

The Nature Restoration Levy Question

The Nature Restoration Levy was introduced as a strategic financial charge under the UK’s Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025. It allows developers to meet environmental obligations by paying into a central Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) instead of buying phosphate or nitrogen credits to offset pollution.

The first Environmental Delivery Plan, covering part of Norfolk, has recently been drafted. It focuses on nature-based mitigation and leaves septic tank upgrade schemes out entirely.

Brad Taylor touches on this in the article, stating, “It makes little sense. The value of septic tank replacement is based on detailed and transparent long-term data and has facilitated thousands of new homes. I don’t believe the methodology behind EDPs is anywhere near as robust.”

Read the full article on Farmers Weekly for more information on these schemes and what it could mean for future developers and homeowners.