General Binding Rules Made Easy
Is your current sewage system complying with the general binding rules from 2020?
General Binding Rules Made Easy
Is your current sewage system complying with the general binding rules from 2020?
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Does Your House Have a Septic Tank or Small Sewage Treatment Plant?
If you have installed a septic tank or small sewage treatment plant in England*, then the binding rules apply to you. The septic tank regulations can be difficult to navigate and understand if you are encountering them for the first time. These are the official rules on the GOV.UK website. There are also more links on the bottom of this page. On this page we aim to make these rules clearer for the regular consumer, that’s you!
*There are other rules that apply to Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
What are our customers saying?
"Being without a functioning septic tank is not the nicest experience and working your way through the regulations about how you are allowed to solve the problem is frustrating to say the least. However, from the very beginning of the process the team at Allerton were helpful and friendly. They advised us on options and were more than happy to go along with our changing plans. Once we had decided what we wanted the work was carried out promptly and efficiently. The team were very friendly and informative and made every effort to leave our garden and fields in good order. The system works well and it is so nice to be able to have a bath again."
Ian Holden
5-Star Google Review
We are one of the most highly reviewed UK companies in our industry. Read our more than 65 positive reviews.
Regulations for Septic Tanks and Small Sewage Treatment Plants
Regulations for Septic Tanks and Small Sewage Treatment Plants
What are the General Binding Rules?
Think of the binding rules like getting your car MOT’d. The purpose of an MOT is to ensure your car is running efficiently, that parts won’t fall off as you’re driving, and that it will not cause pollution. It’s not something that’s required for new cars, but after 3 years they’re susceptible to breakdowns. When you get your car checked out, the mechanic can warn you if your exhaust is rusty and will be due for a replacement soon or if your tyres are too bald for example. They also give you documentation so you can keep a record of the checks you’ve had done on your car.
Likewise, when you check your septic tank for issues according to the binding rules, you will be able to tell if you have any issues that will cause pollution for the local environment. Rather than a yearly check like you do with an MOT, these checks will have to be done monthly and you’ll need to keep a record of them. However, you also need to have your septic tank or treatment plant emptied at least once a year. There are different rules according to if your system discharges to surface water or discharges to the ground.
Definitions
Let’s start with some definitions:
A sealed tank that collects the sewage.
You do not need to comply with the general binding rules or apply for a permit for this. However, you must keep it maintained.
The removal of the sludge that builds up in your sewage treatment plant.
These are the legally binding requirements in regulations that set the minimum standards or conditions that apply.
This can be a reed bed or a trench arch system, for example.
You need to contact the Environment Agency to find out if you need a permit for a non-standard system.
A septic tank is an underground tank where the solids sink to the bottom and the liquid flows out and soaks through the ground.
A part mechanical system that treats the liquid so it’s clean enough to go into a river or stream.
Who needs to comply?
Complying with the rules
If you have a septic tank or small sewage treatment plant, you either need to meet the requirements of the septic tank general binding rules or get a permit if you don’t. The ‘operator’ is the person responsible for this. Much like if you own a car, you become the operator and are responsible for getting it MOT’d if it’s older than 3 years.
You are the operator if you:
- own a property that uses the system
- own a property that shares the system with other properties (each property owner is equally responsible)
- have a written agreement with the property owner that says you’re responsible for the system’s maintenance.
Discharges to the Ground
Discharges to the Ground
You must use a septic tank or a small sewage treatment plant and a drainage field (infiltration system). In certain circumstances you’ll need a permit if you release (‘discharge’):
- to a well, borehole or other deep structure
- more than 2 cubic metres (2,000 litres) per day
- In a groundwater source protection zone (SPZ1)
Pollution
If your sewage releases into the ground, the first thing you need to do is check once a month for signs of pollution. You will be looking for sewage smells and signs that your sewage isn’t draining properly. For example, you might see pools of water in the area where your sewage is released.
Records
You will need to keep a record (invoices, bills, or receipts) of any work you’ve had done on your system. This includes if you’ve had it emptied and any maintenance or repair. You’ll also need to keep a note of any:
- accidents you’ve had with your equipment or incidents that could have led to an accident
- problems you’ve had with your equipment, how you dealt with them and what you’re doing to prevent the same problems happening again
- complaints you’ve received about your equipment and how you resolved them
List of General Binding Rules for Discharges to the Ground
Although the full general binding rules list can be found on the government website, below are the rules that apply only to systems which discharge to the ground.
- The discharge must be 2 cubic metres or less per day in volume.
- The sewage must only be domestic.
- The discharge must not cause pollution of surface water or groundwater.
- The sewage must receive treatment from a septic tank and infiltration system (drainage field) or a sewage treatment plant and infiltration system.
- The discharge must not be within a groundwater Source Protection Zone 1 or within 50 metres form any well, spring or borehole that is used to supply water for domestic or food production purposes.
- All works and equipment used for the treatment of sewage effluent and its discharge must comply with the relevant design and manufacturing standards, i.e. the British Standard that was in force at the time of the installation, and guidance issued by the appropriate authority on the capacity and installation of the equipment.
- The system must be installed and operated in accordance with the manufacturer’s specification.
- Maintenance must be undertaken by someone who is competent.
- Waste sludge from the system must be safely disposed of by an authorised person.
- If a property is sold, the operator must give the new operator a written notice stating that a small sewage discharge is being carried out, and giving a description of the waste water system and its maintenance requirements
- The operator must ensure the system is appropriately decommissioned where it ceases to be in operation so that there is no risk of pollutants of polluting matter entering groundwater, inland fresh waters or coastal waters.
Discharges to Surface Water
Discharges to Surface Water
You must use a small sewage treatment plant to treat the sewage if you’re discharging it to surface water such as a river or stream. This type of system uses mechanical parts to treat the liquid so it’s clean enough to go into a river or stream. You are not allowed to discharge from septic tanks directly to surface water according to the general binding rules.
If you already have a septic tank that discharges directly to surface water, then you need to replace or upgrade your treatment system by 1 January 2020, or when you sell your property if it is before this date. Your treatment system must meet the right standards. If you use Allerton’s Diamond STP (sewage treatment plant) you can be assured that all of the requirements will be met. We will also help you to make sure the correct system will be installed to meet your capacity needs. More details on the standards can be found on the government website. There are also more instructions there on what to do if you sell your property or if you stop using your treatment system.
Pollution
If your sewage releases into water, the first thing you need to do is check once a month for signs of pollution. You’re looking for:
- sewage smells
- overflowing sludge
- signs of white scum or foam on the water around the area where you release sewage
If the Environment Agency finds evidence that your septic tank is causing pollution, you will need to replace or upgrade your system before 1 January 2020. In this case, you may be able to:
- connect to a mains sewer – where available
- install a drainage field (also known as an infiltration system) so the septic tank can discharge to the ground instead
- Replace your septic tank with a small sewage treatment plant
Maintenance
As a minimum, you should have your treatment system desludged once a year or in line with the manufacturer’s instructions. This is something Allerton can do as we are a registered waste carrier. We can also provide advice on maintenance for your system on a case by case basis. Think of us like you would your auto repair person when you go in for your MOT.
List of General Binding Rules for Discharges to Surface Water
Although the full list general binding rules list can be found on the government site, below are the rules that apply only to systems which discharge to surface water.
- The discharge must be 5 cubic metres or less per day in volume.
- The sewage must only be domestic.
- The discharge must not cause pollution of surface water or groundwater.
- The sewage must receive treatment from a sewage treatment plant.
- For discharges in tidal waters, the discharge outlet must be below the mean spring low water mark.
- All works and equipment used for the treatment of sewage effluent and its discharge must comply with the relevant design and manufacturing standards i.e. the British Standard that was in force at the time of the installation, and guidance issued by the appropriate authority on the capacity and installation of the equipment.
- The system must be installed and operated in accordance with the manufacturer’s specification.
- Maintenance must be undertaken by someone who is competent.
- Waste sludge from the system must be safely disposed of by an authorised person.
- If a property is sold, the operator must give the new operator a written notice stating that a small sewage discharge is being carried out, and giving a description of the waste water system and its maintenance requirements
- The operator must ensure the system is appropriately decommissioned where it ceases to be in operation so that there is no risk of pollutants of polluting matter entering groundwater, inland fresh waters or coastal waters.
Discharges to the Ground
Discharges to the Ground
You must use a septic tank or a small sewage treatment plant and a drainage field (infiltration system). In certain circumstances you’ll need a permit if you release (‘discharge’):
- to a well, borehole or other deep structure
- more than 2 cubic metres (2,000 litres) per day
- In a groundwater source protection zone (SPZ1)
Pollution
If your sewage releases into the ground, the first thing you need to do is check once a month for signs of pollution. You will be looking for sewage smells and signs that your sewage isn’t draining properly. For example, you might see pools of water in the area where your sewage is released.
Records
You will need to keep a record (invoices, bills, or receipts) of any work you’ve had done on your system. This includes if you’ve had it emptied and any maintenance or repair. You’ll also need to keep a note of any:
- accidents you’ve had with your equipment or incidents that could have led to an accident
- problems you’ve had with your equipment, how you dealt with them and what you’re doing to prevent the same problems happening again
- complaints you’ve received about your equipment and how you resolved them
List of General Binding Rules for Discharges to the Ground
Although the full binding rules list, can be found on the government site, below are the rules that apply only to systems which discharge to the ground.
- The discharge must be 2 cubic metres or less per day in volume.
- The sewage must only be domestic.
- The discharge must not cause pollution of surface water or groundwater.
- The sewage must receive treatment from a septic tank and infiltration system (drainage field) or a sewage treatment plant and infiltration system.
- The discharge must not be within a groundwater Source Protection Zone 1 or within 50 metres form any well, spring or borehole that is used to supply water for domestic or food production purposes.
- All works and equipment used for the treatment of sewage effluent and its discharge must comply with the relevant design and manufacturing standards, i.e. the British Standard that was in force at the time of the installation, and guidance issued by the appropriate authority on the capacity and installation of the equipment.
- The system must be installed and operated in accordance with the manufacturer’s specification.
- Maintenance must be undertaken by someone who is competent.
- Waste sludge from the system must be safely disposed of by an authorised person.
- If a property is sold, the operator must give the new operator a written notice stating that a small sewage discharge is being carried out, and giving a description of the waste water system and its maintenance requirements
- The operator must ensure the system is appropriately decommissioned where it ceases to be in operation so that there is no risk of pollutants of polluting matter entering groundwater, inland fresh waters or coastal waters.
Discharges to Surface Water
Discharges to Surface Water
You must use a small sewage treatment plant to treat the sewage if you’re discharging it to surface water such as a river or stream. This type of system uses mechanical parts to treat the liquid so it’s clean enough to go into a river or stream. You are not allowed to discharge from septic tanks directly to surface water according to the general binding rules.
If you already have a septic tank that discharges directly to surface water, then you need to replace or upgrade your treatment system by 1 January 2020, or when you sell your property if it is before this date. Your treatment system must meet the right standards. If you use Allerton’s Diamond STP (sewage treatment plant) you can be assured that all of the requirements will be met. We will also help you to make sure the correct system will be installed to meet your capacity needs. More details on the standards can be found on the government website. There are also more instructions there on what to do if you sell your property or if you stop using your treatment system.
Pollution
If your sewage releases into water, the first thing you need to do is check once a month for signs of pollution. You’re looking for:
- sewage smells
- overflowing sludge
- signs of white scum or foam on the water around the area where you release sewage
If the Environment Agency finds evidence that your septic tank is causing pollution, you will need to replace or upgrade your system before 1 January 2020. In this case, you may be able to:
- connect to a mains sewer – where available
- install a drainage field (also known as an infiltration system) so the septic tank can discharge to the ground instead
- Replace your septic tank with a small sewage treatment plant
Maintenance
As a minimum, you should have your treatment system desludged once a year or in line with the manufacturer’s instructions. This is something Allerton can do as we are a registered waste carrier. We can also provide advice on maintenance for your system on a case by case basis. Think of us like you would your auto repair person when you go in for your MOT.
List of General Binding Rules for Discharges to Surface Water
Although the full general binding rules list, can be found online, below are the rules that apply only to systems which discharge to surface water.
- The discharge must be 5 cubic metres or less per day in volume.
- The sewage must only be domestic.
- The discharge must not cause pollution of surface water or groundwater.
- The sewage must receive treatment from a sewage treatment plant.
- For discharges in tidal waters, the discharge outlet must be below the mean spring low water mark.
- All works and equipment used for the treatment of sewage effluent and its discharge must comply with the relevant design and manufacturing standards i.e. the British Standard that was in force at the time of the installation, and guidance issued by the appropriate authority on the capacity and installation of the equipment.
- The system must be installed and operated in accordance with the manufacturer’s specification.
- Maintenance must be undertaken by someone who is competent.
- Waste sludge from the system must be safely disposed of by an authorised person.
- If a property is sold, the operator must give the new operator a written notice stating that a small sewage discharge is being carried out, and giving a description of the waste water system and its maintenance requirements
- The operator must ensure the system is appropriately decommissioned where it ceases to be in operation so that there is no risk of pollutants of polluting matter entering groundwater, inland fresh waters or coastal waters.
Make sure you are complying with the rules
Make sure you are complying with the rules
Are you complying with the rules?
It’s important that you have the right treatment system for your property in order to comply with the general binding rules. We also have tanks of varying sizes to deal with various capacities of waste. Call us on 0800 328 5492 so we can guide you through the process. Do you have more comments or questions about the general binding rules? You can also click to Contact Us.
Please also see further links below from the gov.uk website:
Comply with septic tank and sewage treatment plant permits
Septic tanks and treatment plants: permits and general binding rules
General Binding Rules: small sewage discharge to a surface water
Ready to update your system?
Contact our office to arrange a visit. Don’t hesitate to talk to us if you have any questions or concerns.
Ready to update your system?
Contact our office to arrange a visit. Don’t hesitate to talk to us if you have any questions or concerns.
Allerton's work installing a new domestic sewage treatment plant was first rate. From the initial visit and quote through to the installation everything was prompt, efficient, friendly and lived up to all promises and expectations. The installation team were great to work with, and despite some interesting old drainage issues when excavating the new location and decommissioning the old septic tank, they maintained their good humour and professionalism throughout. I can highly recommend their services. Thank you.
Excellent system and the engineer (Dayton) who carried out our annual service recently is clearly very skilled, taking the time to explain things to us and ensuring the septic tank was working correctly, he also enjoys his job which is refreshing to see. The tank still doesn't need emptying after 3 years, very satisfied!
Excellent service, great communication and lovely people to deal with.I first wrote this review 3 years ago and they have consistently delivered excellent service since then. Very friendly and professional
The Allerton team were excellent. Their work was excellent and their great attitude a credit to them and Allerton.I recommend them highly.
Many thanks to Allerton Bradley and especially Jason, Chris, James, Aaron and the team for a top rate service from start to finish. Had a new Diamond DMS3 water treatment plant installed to replace our old septic tank. Extremely professional installation, great communication throughout from the guys on site and the office, tidy, punctual and a fantastic end result. I would say I'm not the easiest to work for, have very high standards, know exactly the job i want done, do not employ many companies as prefer to carry out most jobs myself, however it was a pleasure having these guys on site. Would not hesitate to recommend. Oh and its great to be able to use the loo's etc whenever needed rather than going to the local garden center to use their facilities!!! Many Thanks, Graham & Catherine
Cannot recommend Allertons enough! Excellent service with speedy attendance by an engineer and the problem of a faulty timer was resolved without being too costly! Will definitely be saving their contact number on speed dial!
We have used Allerton to maintain our household pump system for several years. Always found their staff pleasant and helpful. Last weekend a fault developed which we reported on the Monday morning. By Monday afternoon they had called, identified the fault, offered advice, made the repair and everything left tidy and all with a smile.
Great service, good to receive email reminder when service is due!Very pleasant person arrived promptly to do the service.
Fantastic service from Allerton. Chris was brilliant! He was punctual, polite and professional. The finish was outstanding. We are so pleased with the result. Would definitely recommend Allerton and Chris. Thank you so much.
Living close to one of Hampshire's best chalk stream rivers, having the right treatment plant that is compliant and meets with the EA's stringent regulations is a necessity. Our old cesspit did not meet with the latest regulations so when we looked into changing to a sewage treatment plant Allerton gave us the reassurance and expert knowledge that we needed. The treatment plant has been installed for over a year now and we have just had our annual service. The team at Allerton are all knowledgeable, professional, helpful and courteous when ever I have needed to contact them, nothing is too much trouble. I would recommend the company and specially if you live close to a river where specialist advice is needed when considering the options of changing from a septic tank arrangement to a compliant treatment plant.
Alerton is a reliable company that thrives on clear customer contact, providing us with a no nonsense practical service that is invaluable and most necessary.Allerton personnel are pleasant, informed and helpful. We have used the company for years and intend to stay with them.Thank you Allerton for your immaculate service.
