A challenge of ground water and EA permitting
The owners of Hatchet and Brandy Cottage were struggling with a septic tank that had a high volume of ground water seeping into the tank and contacted WCI in search of a solution.
The inspection visit revealed there was a lack of appropriate land where a new Building Control compliant drainage field could be located. Thinking outside the box, our engineers identified a private gulley that fed under the road to a seasonally dry ditch.
Legal discharge to a seasonally dry ditch
Given the new discharge would not meet the Environment Agency’s General Binding Rules (rule No. 19: make sure the surface water has flow) WCI applied for a bespoke permit. Due to the land limitations on site, we were unable to install the usual 10m of perforated pipe before the ditch which is a requirement for a bespoke permit discharge to a seasonally dry watercourse.
WCI worked with the Environment Agency to find a solution and the permit was awarded with a numeric permit limit. The Environment Agency sets numeric discharge quality limits in permits to make sure discharges comply with water quality objectives. Laboratory samples of the discharge will be tested for concentrations of Biological Oxygen Demand BOD, Total Suspended Solids TSS and Ammonia as N and compared to the limits set out in the Environment Agency Permit.
Reinstatement and landscaping
After the system was commissioned by a WCI British Water Service Engineer, an area around the GRAF one2clean sewage treatment plant was landscaped, and grass seeded. In addition, the WCI Team provided a bit of extra landscaping to tidy up the site and assist the client with a larger project.
Once the Building Control completion certificate had been received, a complete final documents pack detailing the work undertaken was sent to the owners. This pack detailed all the work undertaken including all permissions, system specifications and service.
A note from the customer:
“First class service from the moment of first contact to completion of the project – a whole new sewage treatment plant to replace a failed septic tank. Highly recommend this company to anyone.”
A Hickford, Devon
