Purchasing a house with Septic Tank

lunaloo122

Hi everyone, 
Due to complete next friday on a cottage with a septic tank, shared with next door. Next door is also for sale and completing this week. 
I received an email from the estate agent asking if we wanted to share the cost of the survey for the septic tank. This seems really late in the day to me? Surely our solicitors would of flagged needing a survey earlier in the purchase? 

I know the rules have recently changed on septic tanks so i'm worried that the survey may flag something up which makes me wonder why haven't our solicitors advised us to do a survey? 

Does anyone have any experience on this? 
Thank you!

greatcrested

Some solicitors, especialy city ones or online warehouses, are unfamilar with off mains sewerage, especially as the rules are relatively new. A rural solicitor will be more familiar. Not an excuse - just saying.

And did the solicitor even know there is a septic tank?

Hav you read the rules? On exchange of ownership, the buyer & seller must ensure that the system complies. If it does not, buyer/seller must agree who will pay for any upgrade.

You may well find yours no longer complies and will need an upgrade.

So yes, sharing the cost of an inspection report is a good start. You and the new next door neighbour can then agree how to upgrade (if required). In reality the seller will not be interested though you could try re-negotiating on price if an upgrade is required.

Where does the tank outflow go?

A drainage field? A water course?.........

Have you read

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/general-binding-rules-small-sewage-discharge-to-the-ground

princeofpounds

Solicitors don't concern themselves with the quality of the building. They may suggest a generic survey is a good idea, but beyond that they would have nothing to say on the topic. They would only care about e.g. rights of drainage, maintenance obligations etc. So your solicitor's silence means nothing.

Yes, it probably would be a good idea to have a septic survey. The condition can vary massively. If they are in good shape, they can be relatively trouble-free for decades. If they are not in good shape, you can end up with a 5-20k bill very quickly (although the larger bill would be shared presumably). A standard house survey will not cover drains, although a good surveyor may take a quick look under the septic hatch if you're lucky and give an informal opinion. 

I used to own a property with one. It worked well, and was actually cheaper than mains drainage, if you exclude the cost of having to save in theory for a replacement at the end-of-life. At one point I was worried it had a major problem as it was backing up, but it turns out the dip pipes between chambers just needed a jetting clean. 

You can tell a lot from a quick inspection though (I'm talking a traditional tank here). Open the hatches and look at the scum line. If it it sitting much higher than the water level that is evidence of backing up (it will always do this a little in the first chamber remember). Send a load of water down, see how it drains out. Check there isn't sitting water in the drains themselves, if you can. Also if you can check what the flow out to the soakaway looks like - is it relatively clear of scum? Check the condition of the brickwork you can see and the dip pipes between chambers.

The new rules on septic tanks (or rather sewage treatment plants as they will all become) matter most if you have to replace an existing facility, from what I recall. Yes, they are a pain, but basically they make you buy processing equipment rather than just using a set of inert chambers. There are also some important quirks if you are e.g. draining into a watercourse or near an SSSI.

snowcat75

If it discharges into a Water course as of regs this year, on any sale this has to be upgraded.
Personally on the house I'm selling I agreed right from the beginning to change to a packaged , as i will still retain the land with the discharge point on and I didn't want the hassle of the issues with these old tanks.

Iv put several packaged plants in on places I own, they cost me around £5k using my own labour or I think firms are looking at about double.

Personally I wouldn't even look at keeping the old tank, (having always lived away from the mains sewage)  but as your so ware near to complete its going to be a hassle to negotiate. 

greatcrested

princeofpounds said:

The new rules on septic tanks (or rather sewage treatment plants as they will all become) matter most if you have to replace an existing facility, from what I recall.

No. They apply if replacing a system, or if a property changes ownership.

Soakaways (actually 'drainage fields') must also comply, so the quality of the soil (how quickly the liquid soaks in) and extent of the DF must be adequate for the potential (not actual) number of residents ( eg two 4 bedroom houses = 12 people).

princeofpounds

greatcrested said:

princeofpounds said:

The new rules on septic tanks (or rather sewage treatment plants as they will all become) matter most if you have to replace an existing facility, from what I recall.

No. They apply if replacing a system, or if a property changes ownership.

Soakaways (actually 'drainage fields') must also comply, so the quality of the soil (how quickly the liquid soaks in) and extent of the DF must be adequate for the potential (not actual) number of residents ( eg two 4 bedroom houses = 12 people).

Well I stand corrected, I guess because my recall was from a pre-2020 situation, and with a proper soakaway. 

AdrianC

The bit that'd make me run is the sharedness of the septic tank.

babyblade41

I have had a few treatment plants and under no circumstances would I share with a neighbour.

lunaloo122

What are the concerns around sharing? 

davidmcn

lunaloo122 said:

What are the concerns around sharing? 

I presume your lack of control over what the neighbours put down their drains.

greatcrested

I share with the neighbour (it's in his garden). Never been a problem. Of course, the relationship matters and ours is good.

The benefit is we share the cost of periodic emptying and maintenance.

When I purchased, there was no formal agreement so a few years ago I requested a Deed be registered giving me rights to use the tank, share the costs etc etc so now it's all formal and registered against both properties.

The tank now needs replacing so we are currently looking at either a new tank plus new drainage field (current outflow is non-compliant) or a small treatment works.

Cost will be 50/50 so far better than if it was for my sole use......