| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Treacodactyl |
Soak awaysAnyone know much about them? After a bit of investigation it seems that a new build house should have all it's surface water drained to a soakaway if possible, so that's all the water from the roof, hard standing etc. Is that correct?I also gather that this isn't that unusual, actually it's been done for ages, but the modern way of doing it is to dig a hole, insert a permeable tank and fit an inspection cover on? |
||
| digit |
A soak away can be a hole about 1.5 metres square filled with clean stone to let the water soak through. | ||
| Bebo |
I think preferred solution is soakaways for new builds, but there are alternatives. In some locations soakaways aren't acceptable or possible (ground conditions/ water table that doesn't let it soak away and I think there are sometimes issues when you are over an aquifer). If a soakaway isn't workable then one concern the EA have about discharging into existing watercourses is that you don't discharge at such a rate that it will cause flooding. You can overcome this by creating a balancing pond / tank to retain water on site during a heavy downpour and allow it to discharge away at a controlled rate later. Water quality is also an issue, but if you are just talking about surface water run off then it shouldn't be an issue.
Haven't we got a EA person as a member? They may be able to advise in more detail. |
||
| Treacodactyl |
The question relates specifically to a property that I think has a modern soakaway. I'm only used to the old way of just having a hole filled with rubble, not a permeable tank with an inspection chamber, hence the question.
If anyone knows more about them I'd be interested to know if they are very common and if there's anything to be aware of, e.g. can they block up or could you actually pump water out of them? |
||
| Bebo |
Yes, it's pretty common. This takes you to Kent County Councils guide on soakaway design and the conventional soakaway they identify is a chamber with holes in it.
http://www.kent.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/85ABBAB0-ACC0-4E2E-908E-43ACAAE98151/0/mihref19.pdf |
||
| James |
Thats me. Treacodactyl: I dont know much about these semi-permeable chambers. In reality, the EA would probably be content with any system that: 1) will not cause pollutants from driveways (such as spilled engine oil or weed-killer) to directly enter the groundwater 2) will cope with the volume of discharge 3) will have a design life equivalent to the new build and , by preference, not require continual up-keep. 4) will not indirectly cause flooding due to increase in the groundwater table (very rare) 5) will not increase the movement of any previously existing contamination underlying the site (only on brownfield land) At your local EA office, there should be a "development control" officer, who should be conversant with the details of "sustainable urban drainage systems" (SUDS) (this is what you're describing above). Ask to talk to them and they should give you all the answers you need. |
||
| Treacodactyl |
Thanks for the info James, I remember reading about SUDS when I was looking at the new hard standing regs. Hopefully a surveyor can check it out but it's good to have some background knowledge to start with. |