In a wet country like Britain, managing rainwater is an unavoidable task. This is especially true for owners of off-mains properties. The good news is that rainwater soakaways make it easy to collect and disperse run-off water. A soakaway offers a simple and inexpensive solution that requires virtually no maintenance. But what exactly should it be used for? Let’s explore the pros and cons of soakaway systems and see where they can or cannot be installed.
What is a rainwater soakaway?
Soakaways are a simple system for containing, and then discharging, rainwater into the ground. Usually installed in the garden, traditionally they consisted of a simple pit filled with hardcore but modern designs use “soakaway crates”. Rainwater from your property is piped into the pit to be collected and then dispersed into the surrounding soil.
However, there are some limits to what a soakaway can achieve, as we’ll explain in the following sections.
Where can a soakaway be used?
This is where a professional test is required. By UK law, a soakaway can only be installed if the surrounding soil type and ground structure allow for sufficient drainage. This is measured using a percolation test, which checks how efficiently the ground water drains into the soil. At CESS, we carry out a full percolation test before embarking on any drainage field or soakaway installation.
Passing this test is only the first step in confirming whether a garden soakaway can be installed on your property. Our experts must also factor in the size of your property, its distance from surrounding buildings, and any other obstructions such as ditches or boundaries. As a rule, more spacious properties are likelier to meet these standards.
Can soakaways be used with sewage treatment plant?
Definitely not. As we discussed in last month’s blog, soakaways have no method for treating or filtering effluent water before it runs off into the ground. This falls foul of UK environmental laws designed to reduce pollution from off-mains properties.
As such, soakaways are only suitable for dealing with run-off water (from patios, driveways, roofs etc.) and surface rainwater. A soakaway must not be used to drain away effluent from a sewage treatment plant or septic tank.
What CESS offers
Our team of experts has 30 years’ experience of installing soakaways in Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire. We will carry out a thorough percolation test to check whether a soakaway is suitable for your property.
If you have any questions about soakaways, or would like to book a percolation test, please get in touch. You can call us on 01483 429888 or email at info@cessgroup.co.uk.