Sewage Problem Nightmare

devon-gnome

Looking for some advice on this............ Our waste is collected in a cesspit which is shared with 7 other properties and in the past year, emptyings have increasingly become more frequent. Now it's every fortnight, at the cost of £36 per household and the waste is liquid and solids instead of solids alone. Reading around the subject leads me to think that the soakaway is faulty but the problem is how to pay for repairs/upgrading. The reason is that 4 of us are privately owned, one is Housing Association owned and 2 are owned by a Duke's estate. The Housing Association have always arranged collection and split the cost between us all but when I asked about repairs to the cesspit, they said they were unwilling because they only had a 1/7 stake in it and why don't we neighbours get together to sort it out? I haven't approached the Duke's estate because it is notorious for leaving repairs undone for years and years. Only 2 of us are willing to pay but feel that we won't get contributions from anyone else.
Oh dear - what a nightmare.
I am waiting for a drainage company to get back to me with a quote for a new system and will follow through by asking everyone concerned if they are willing to split the cost. As I believe this is going to take a very long time to sort out (and £36 per fornight meanwhile!), I was also thinking of isolating myself from the system and hooking up to my own waste tank.
What do people think about this situation and does anyone have any ideas of costs involved both to replace the main unit and for me to have my own unit?
(I am in a terrace house.)
Thanks in anticipation

windym_2

Personally I would hook up to your own system. Ours was done by Stenlakes (Launceston) and cost £3k. It included all labour and was a run of 30 meters from house to tank. The tank is larger than we needed. This was done completely on private land but the cost may increase if you have to go over Highways etc. We empty every second year at a cost of about £75.

withabix

If you install a new septic tank, the legal minimum size you are allowed to install is 18 cubic metres (18,000 litres).

I would budget £5500-£6000 for a fully installed tank and soakaway.

Also, when you do the required percolation test, you might find under current EA requirements that you will need to drain the liquor away to a sewer (which defeats the object of having a septic tank to start with) or you will need to provide a biofiltration secondary treatment system before discharging the liquid.

Is there any chance that a foul sewer exists close to your property which has been installed since your houses were built?

If there is, you have a legal right to connect to it, although this can be costly.

tealady

Try asking your local Council for advice, contact Environmental Health Office. They may be able to advise re who is legally responsible for what.

paddy's_mum

You may need to take your deeds to your solicitor to check whether you would still be obligated to contribute to the cesspit emptying costs even if you were not using it, having provided a system of your own. Sometimes people buy a house with an obligation which cannot be evaded.

You might also like to google for 'composting toilet' which, if dealt with properly, may make a viable option for you. Joseph Jenkins Humanure system is world renowned but possibly not for the more squeamish among us.

devon-gnome

After a residents' meeting to discuss the problems, we decided to withhold all payments and ask a solicitor's advice, reasoning that the Housing Association were attempting to wriggle out of their obligations. (They bought property here from the Council a few years ago and this included a carpark and cesspit.) She has written to the Housing Association quoting the Sale of Goods act and saying that she intends to do a property search to determine ownership of the cesspit. After that letter, the Housing Association arranged for a survey to be carried out and the report was sent to us. It found that the system needed to be replaced and would we please sign to say that we agree to share the costs. (Obviously, we didn't sign.) As we have not been chased for non payment of invoices and as the Duke's tenants have been told not to get involved because the 'estate' will handle matters, it looks like we may win the day and get a new, reliable system at no expense to us. (fingers crossed!)

choshi268

I live in a group of 8 houses connected to an inadequate septic tank. It must be replaced with a package treatment plant but the housing association have grandiose ideas of reed beds as well to keep the environment agency off their backs. only one house is still rented so we want to take over the management as we are convinced that we can solve the problem more effectively and cheaply than the nightmare that is the HA. Other groups must have done this, any advice on taking control from a reluctant HA? Anyone out there know a solicitor who has done the legal bit at sensible cost, not the £8000- £12000 that we've been quoted?
Sorry about muscling in on someone elses thread but I've just spent 30+ min trying to find "NEW THREAD" anywhere on any page!!!!:j

BobProperty

choshi268 wrote: »

.....Sorry about muscling in on someone elses thread but I've just spent 30+ min trying to find "NEW THREAD" anywhere on any page!!!!:j

That's because it's at the top of the forum and not shown within threads. It's just the way this place is. See if a moderator will move your post or start a new one anyway.

lysander9

choshi268 wrote: »

I live in a group of 8 houses connected to an inadequate septic tank. It must be replaced with a package treatment plant but the housing association have grandiose ideas of reed beds as well to keep the environment agency off their backs. only one house is still rented so we want to take over the management as we are convinced that we can solve the problem more effectively and cheaply than the nightmare that is the HA. Other groups must have done this, any advice on taking control from a reluctant HA? Anyone out there know a solicitor who has done the legal bit at sensible cost, not the £8000- £12000 that we've been quoted?
Sorry about muscling in on someone elses thread but I've just spent 30+ min trying to find "NEW THREAD" anywhere on any page!!!!:j

hi im new to this site as well but its seems a great place. i am also in southern england and had a simiular problem as yours by the sounds of it might even be the same HA i shared with 4 others all owned by the HA they have not be able to produce any test results on our failing system but informed me they wish to replace the system and also expected me to pay the ongoing extra tankering costs for the last 18months whilst they sat back and did nothing to put the situation right i don't know about taking over the management of the system but after weighing up the costs we felt it prudent to have are own system installed even though the HA objected to our planning permission it went through alright and we have taken back control of our finances.
good luck with yours:beer: