Shropshire Drainage
Septic tank installation

Across all of Shropshire

Septic Tank Installation & Replacement in Shropshire

Replacement of failed or non-compliant septic tanks, from percolation testing and design through excavation, installation and building regulations sign-off.

Photo: Jonathan Billinger · CC BY-SA 2.0

Septic tanks do not last forever. Older brick or concrete tanks crack and leak, single-skin steel tanks corrode, and many older installations no longer meet the rules that now apply to off-mains drainage. When a tank fails, or a survey flags it during a house sale, replacement is usually the right answer.

A new installation starts with the ground, not the tank. We assess the site, carry out percolation tests where a drainage field is planned, and design a system that suits your soil, your household size and the space available. In parts of Shropshire with heavy clay, a conventional soakaway will not pass a percolation test, and the right answer is often a small sewage treatment plant with a drainage field, or an alternative discharge arrangement that meets the rules.

We handle the excavation, installation, backfill and commissioning, and the work is completed to current British Standards and building regulations. You end up with a compliant system, the paperwork to prove it, and a clear maintenance schedule.

What the service includes

  • Site assessment and percolation testing to BS 6297
  • Honest advice on whether a septic tank or a treatment plant is the right fit for your ground
  • Supply and installation of modern tanks certified to EN 12566
  • Excavation, concrete backfill where required, and reinstatement of the site
  • Decommissioning and safe removal or infilling of the old tank
  • Building regulations liaison and completion paperwork

A new septic tank cannot discharge to a watercourse

Under the General Binding Rules, a septic tank may only discharge to ground via a drainage field. If your ground fails a percolation test, or the site has no room for a drainage field, a sewage treatment plant is normally the compliant alternative because a treatment plant may discharge treated effluent to a watercourse.

Replacement is often triggered by a house sale

Solicitors and surveyors now routinely ask about off-mains drainage compliance during conveyancing. If a sale is on the horizon, it is worth getting the system assessed early so the work does not hold up the transaction.

What we install

A tank is only half the job. It has to be sized for the property and paired with a drainage field the ground can actually take.

How a septic tank works A cross-section through a domestic septic tank. Wastewater leaves the house through an inlet pipe into the first chamber, where solids settle as sludge at the bottom and fats and grease float as a scum crust on top. The clarified liquid in the middle passes under a baffle into the second chamber, then leaves through the outlet into a drainage field of perforated pipe laid in gravel, where it soaks away into the ground.
Wastewater separates in the tank: solids sink as sludge, fats float as scum, and only the liquid layer passes to the drainage field to soak away. Sludge has to be pumped out before it reaches the outlet.

Septic Tank Installation & Replacement near you

We provide septic tank installation and replacement throughout Shropshire. Find the detail for your area:

Frequently asked questions

How long does a septic tank installation take?

A straightforward domestic replacement typically takes a few days on site, depending on access, ground conditions and weather. Percolation tests and any building regulations approvals happen before the dig starts.

Can I replace a septic tank myself?

Installation involves deep excavation, heavy lifts, structural backfill and compliance with building regulations and the General Binding Rules. Getting it wrong is expensive to undo, so this is genuinely a job for a contractor with the right plant and experience.

What does a replacement cost?

It depends on tank size, access, ground conditions and whether a drainage field is needed. We quote after seeing the site, and the quote is itemised so you can see exactly what you are paying for.

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