Soakaways are mainly created as a solution to standing surface water. They consist of a large hole or pit that receives surface water from a drainage pipe and helps the water to slowly percolate through the soil, reducing the risk of flooding and improving the stability of the ground.
How do I know if I have a soak away?
If you’re wondering ‘how can I tell if I have a soakaway? ‘, simply follow the rainwater pipes down from the side of your house into your garden. If they lead to a slightly lowered area where your lawn dips, there’s a chance you have a soakaway installed.
What is the difference between a drain and a soakaway?
What is the difference between a drainage field and a soakaway? To summarise the difference between the two, a drainage field is designed to add additional treatment to the water. Whereas a soakaway is designed to store a large volume of water allowing time for it to release into the ground (i. e. in a heavy downpour).
How long does a soak away last?
Soakaways should last the life of the house, at least 100 years but only if installed and maintained correctly.
How does a soak away work? – Related Questions
Can you plant on a soak away?
What can I grow? Growing grass on a soakaway is common and should not cause problems as the roots are not invasive. If the drainage field is the only area for planting then non-invasive and shallow root plants are also good. Planting in this way will help reduce erosion of the soakaway.
What is the difference between a septic tank and a soakaway?
A soakaway tank is more commonly referred to as a septic tank. The area where the wastewater is discharged from the septic tank is called a soakaway, although due to legal changes in January 2020, septic tanks must now only discharge into a drainage field, rather than a soakaway.
Can a soakaway collapse?
Possibly the most detrimental of the 3, the pipes that feed the soakaway system could collapse due to external pressure or poor installation. If the pipes collapse the soakaway will leak out rapidly from this if they become disconnected. If this is the case the entire system will need to be replaced.
How close can a soak away be to a house?
A soakaway must always be the first choice but must not be used: Within 5m of a building or road, 2.5m of a boundary or in an area of unstable land in ground where the water table reaches the bottom of the soakaway at any time of the year.
How do you clear a soak away?
The most common method to clear out a soakaway blockage is by inserting high-pressure water jets into the plastic crate itself. The water pressure forces accumulated silt and leaves out of the crate’s small channels, thereby leaving the soakaway clear to do its job as normal.
Where does a soak away go?
A soakaway is a buried drainage feature which seeks to manage surface water on the site and infiltrate into the ground, rather than discharging to an offsite location such as a watercourse or sewer.
Why do I need a soak away?
Why use a soakaway? Building Regulations require you to adequately dispose of stormwater from the building. To try and ensure water is dispersed into the ground evenly and quickly you must consider the use of a soakaway in all cases. You must use a soakaway if design criteria can be met.
Do all houses have a soakaway?
Over the last 20 years, since new Building Regulations were introduced in 2001, it has been MANDATORY for housing developments and new properties to be built with soakaways, or similar, systems so that the surface water created when it rains on these properties is “self-contained” and does not run off into the main
How deep to dig a soak away?
Excavating the site
The depth depends upon the location – if it’s under the garden or patio etc. it only needs to be 1310mm deep, but if its under your driveway it should be 1510mm deep to allow for a little more top fill. If you don’t want to dig that deep, check out our shallow dig soakaway options.
Can you put a soakaway in clay soil?
DON’T install a soakaway in heavy clay soil, the water cannot drain through this so it won’t work if this is in your garden. DON’T install a soakaway if you live in a polluted area prone to smog. Soakaways are no appropriate for polluted rainwater.
Does a soakaway need emptying?
How long does a soakaway last? Septic tanks need regular maintenance to keep them running efficiently. Maintenance includes emptying a septic tank of the sludge that builds up so the wastewater disposal system, including the soakaway, can still function. Septic tanks need to be emptied and serviced every 12 months.
How many crates do I need for a soakaway?
Then all you need to do is simple decide on the type of soakaway crate you require, and divide 1m3 by the volume of each individual crate. So if we take our Brett Martin Stormcrate crates as an example, each crate holds 0.25m3 of water, so 1m3 divided by 0.25 = 4 crates required.
Do all septic tanks need a soakaway?
Do All Septic Tanks Need a Soakaway? In general, the answer is yes – in fact, all septic tanks must have some form of drainage available to allow the treated wastewater to drain away. One exception is that some tanks discharge directly into a water course, such as a ditch, a river or lake.
Are soakaway crates legal?
Are soakaway crates legal to use for a septic tank? Unfortunately, soakaway crates aren’t legal to use as a soakaway for a septic tank or treatment plant.
What do you fill a soakaway with?
What Is a Soakaway? Simply put, when you dig a hole in the ground which is then filled with rubble and coarse stone; you have created a soakaway drainage field. These stones allow surface water to percolate back into the earth close to where it falls.
What should a soakaway look like?
They look like a series of perforated pipes laid in trenches in an area of land around your property, usually your garden or a field. The area around these pipes will then be covered over, usually with stones or gravel and turf, with the treated foul water being discharged into this land.