Sewers and human waste may not be the first things you think about when looking for a new home, but many rural and semi-rural properties do not have mains drainage and so rely on a septic tank. This can have important legal, practical, and costly implications, particularly since environmental regulations could mean that an old system is now unlawful.
Here Holly Stevens, Head of Residential Property with Ware & Kay in York considers the rules relating to septic tanks and why they could be important when buying a home or a holiday property in the countryside.
Septic tanks and water quality
If you are buying a property without mains drainage, you will want to make sure it has an adequate way of disposing of waste. Nobody wants raw sewage backing up into their new home! However…