Can A Kitchen Sink Waste Pipe Legally Go Into A River?

[Quenched]

My friends parents house has a kitchen sink waste pipe leading all the way through their back garden under ground which after about 40 feet leads to a river. 

 

Its been this way since they had a kitchen /bathroom extension built way back in 1972, yet the bathroom waste, ie bath water, sink, toilet, all goes to a sewage tank burried in the garden.

But why they didn't route the kitchen sink waste pipe to the sewage tank is anyones guess. 

 

My question is in two parts. 

First question is because its been this way for over 52 years, is it worth altering, especially as no authority has picked up on it yet. 

 

And if it needs sorting how easy is it to sort financially, given everything else apart from rain water goes into the sewage tank. 

[barry1010]

People who live on boats on canals and rivers discharge all their grey water in to the waterways. The only exception is toilet waste.

[ToraToraTora]

I think that must be illegal, any old carp could go down there and end up in the river. Eg imagine a load of fairy liquid going down turning the river into a bubble bath. It should go into the septic tank like the rest of the waste.

[calmck]

We had a septic tank and the grey water, bath, sinks etc went to a soakaway while toilet waste went to the septic tank

[barry1010]

TTT, boats discharge the washing up water, the washing machine, dishwasher, shower in to the waterways.

[Maydup]

We have grey kitchen water to a soak away and all bathroom to the septic tank. 
Why they didn't reroute it is probably same as us, because it would fill the tank up quicker and likely require more frequent emptying;  OR because the new extension was built away from the existing run of drains to the tank. 
Rerouting costs would depend entirely on the drain layout and how much work is involved in linking the waste pipe into the system. Hopefully they haven't built the extension over the existing drains! 
 

[davebro3]

Any contamination will be miniscule compared to what the water companies discharge into the waterways.

[youngmafbog]

//TTT, boats discharge the washing up water, the washing machine, dishwasher, shower in to the waterways.//

Well that needs addressing then as it highy polluting.

[davebro3]

In "Canal Boat Diaries" Robbie Cumming use eco-friendly (bio-degradable) products for washing & washing up etc. Presumably other boaters do as well.

[bhg481]

In times of drought don't they promote the idea of using bath water to water the garden?

[Old_Geezer]

Needs must when the Devil drives ?

[DDIL]

Here in NI that scenario is not allowed

Connecting your home to the right drains | nidirect

 

 

 

[DDIL]

apologies links don't seem to work so just copy and paste that text into your search engine and it will bring up the page.

[barry1010]

Some do, dave, but it is expensive and liveaboard boaters often have to shop at small convenience shops that simply don't sell it.

[barry1010]

young, so called 'van lifers' (people who live in camper vans and motor homes) are worse.  Although illegal some often empty their toilet cassette in to the rain drains.

[Peter Pedant]

I think that must be illegal, any old carp could go down there ....

oh then there must be !

(if there isnt a law: jjust say there is ! very trumpian)

[The Builder]

The Environmental Agency (or whatever it's called now) was always very hot on this. There's no time limit an Building Regs and EA infringements. If the EA knew about this now they would be miffed, and demand rectification. (Theoretically).

You don't say whether this is a septic tank, treatment plant, or old-type cess pit. Most likely a septic tank, but back then it could easily have been a cess pit. Cess pits need emptying when full. Septic tanks are designed to run full, with only annual de-sludging needed. (Removing the solids from the bottom of the tank.) Hence keeping bulk water from entering cess pits was often done. 

Or.............  it's a septic tank, and kitchen water is excluded because detergents greatly reduce efficient operation of the..... er..........  'septic-ness'.

These things are usually resolved since connection to the tank is all there somewhere. Things just need re-arranging. I can't estimate costs without actually being there for a poke about.

[barry1010]

Can a septic tank be sited so close to a river, The Builder?

[The Builder]

As with so many 'regulations' in this country Barry - it's a mess. Only siting regulations that were applicable at the time of installation are normally enforced. So that's possibly none then, in this case. For a long time it was nominally 10 metres, but requirements vary from Authority to Authority. In my experience, measurements are stipulated in the EA Discharge Permit. I've never been allowed to fit one that close to a waterway. In low lying ground, it can be 30 or even 50 metres.

Add to that the reality is they really don't like septics at all. Sometimes stipulating a treatment plant. No problem now that T/plants are much the same cost as a septic.

And... T/plants can discharge directly into a waterway since the water is treated way above the level that s/tanks can manage.

[barry1010]

Thanks, Builder. It's a minefield, really. Too easy to interpret the regs wrong

 

 

[Canary42]

////any old carp could ... end up in the river. ////

Nothing wrong with carp in the river.

 

Now crap, that is a different kettle of fish (pun intended).