SEPTIC TANK INSTALLATION
Septic tank installation, replacement and expert advice
WES designs and installs off-mains drainage systems for homes, estates and commercial sites across the South of England.
If a septic tank is suitable for your site, we can assess the ground conditions, design the drainage field and manage the installation from survey through to handover.
THE RIGHT SYSTEM FOR THE SITE
Is a septic tank the right option?
A septic tank can be an appropriate off-mains drainage solution, but only where the site and discharge arrangement allow it. Septic tank effluent must discharge to the ground through a suitable drainage field. A septic tank must not discharge directly to a watercourse.
That’s why WES starts with the site rather than the product. Ground conditions, available space, expected flows and the discharge route all help determine whether a septic tank, sewage treatment plant or another solution is appropriate. If you already have a system but aren’t sure where it is, see our guide to how to find a septic tank.
New installations
Planning an off-mains system for a new property, extension or site.
Replacement systems
Replacing an ageing, failed or unsuitable existing septic tank.
Compliance & upgrades
Understanding an existing arrangement and what may need to change.
FROM SURVEY TO INSTALLATION
Designed around the property, not pulled from a catalogue
A successful septic tank installation depends on more than the tank itself. WES can take care of the site assessment, design, specification and installation as one joined-up project.
01 Assess
Understand the property, existing drainage, access and site constraints.
02 Test & design
Carry out the surveys or soil testing needed and design the drainage field.
03 Install
Complete the works with careful planning and minimum practical disruption.
04 Hand over
Commission the system and explain the important ongoing requirements.
SEPTIC TANK REGULATIONS
Compliance starts with how and where the system discharges
In England, septic tanks and small sewage treatment plants are subject to the Environment Agency’s General Binding Rules. If the applicable rules are met, the system can generally operate without an environmental permit. For a septic tank, treated effluent must discharge to the ground through a suitable drainage field rather than directly to a watercourse.
If you already have a septic tank and are unsure whether the existing arrangement complies, WES can assess it through a dedicated Compliance Survey.
REPLACING AN EXISTING SEPTIC TANK?
Don’t assume like-for-like is the right answer
If an existing septic tank is failing, damaged or no longer suitable, the best replacement may not be another septic tank.
WES can assess the existing arrangement, explain the options and design the most appropriate route forward for the property and site. If you’re budgeting for the work, our guide to septic tank replacement costs explains the main factors that can affect price.
Planning a septic tank installation?
Tell us about the property or site and we’ll help establish what is possible, what needs checking and the right next step.
WES works across the South of England.