Shropshire & its side of the Welsh Marches
Septic tanks & drainage, sorted properly
Tank emptying, treatment plant servicing, soakaways and blocked drains for the homes and farms the mains never reached. Work out what you are dealing with, understand what the rules require, and get help finding a local specialist.
- No charge to askDescribe your problem and get pointed the right way
- Off-mains drainage onlyEnquiries go to specialists in this work, not generalists
- The rules in plain EnglishWhat the General Binding Rules actually require of you
- County-wide referralShropshire and its side of the Marches
What this covers
Off-mains drainage and the drains that serve those properties, from the kitchen sink to the soakaway. If your property runs on a septic tank, sewage treatment plant or cesspit, or your drains are misbehaving, start here.
Septic Tank Emptying
Scheduled and one-off septic tank emptying by tanker, with the paperwork you need for your records and for the General Binding Rules.
See detailsSeptic Tank Installation & Replacement
Replacement of failed or non-compliant septic tanks, from percolation testing and design through excavation, installation and building regulations sign-off.
See detailsSewage Treatment Plant Installation
Design and installation of package sewage treatment plants for homes and small businesses, including upgrades from non-compliant septic tanks.
See detailsSewage Treatment Plant Servicing
Annual servicing, repairs and health checks for all makes of package sewage treatment plant, keeping your discharge compliant and your warranty intact.
See detailsCesspit Emptying
Cesspit and cesspool emptying by tanker, scheduled around how quickly your tank actually fills rather than a generic interval.
See detailsSoakaway Installation & Repair
Percolation testing, drainage field design, and installation or repair of soakaways for septic tanks and treatment plants.
See detailsDrain Unblocking
High-pressure water jetting for blocked drains, toilets, gullies and soil stacks at homes and businesses across Shropshire, and what to do while you wait.
See detailsCCTV Drain Surveys
Camera surveys of drains and private sewers with a recorded video and written report, for repeat blockages, home purchases and pre-works checks.
See detailsDrain Repairs & Relining
No-dig drain relining and targeted excavation repairs for cracked, displaced and root-damaged drains, always preceded by a proper survey.
See detailsEmergency Drainage
What to do first when a tank overflows, sewage backs up or a drain floods, and how to reach a local specialist once the immediate risk is contained.
See detailsNot sure which one you need?
Most people do not know whether they have a septic tank or a treatment plant, and that is fine. Describe the covers and the problem, and we will tell you what you are dealing with. No charge to describe your problem and be pointed in the right direction.
Know your system
What is actually under your garden
Most people never see their septic tank. It sits buried under the lawn doing its job quietly until the day it does not, and then the questions all arrive at once.
A septic tank is not a sealed holding pit. It separates: solids sink as sludge, fats and grease float as a scum crust, and only the clarified liquid in the middle passes out to a soakaway or drainage field.
That middle layer is the whole point, and it is why emptying matters. A tank left too long pushes sludge out through the outlet and into the drainage field, where it clogs the gravel and blocks the ground solid. Replacing a ruined drainage field costs many times what the emptying would have, which is the single most expensive mistake in off-mains drainage.
The 2020 General Binding Rules changed what is allowed to discharge where. Many older Shropshire tanks no longer comply.
What happens when you get in touch
No mystery and no pressure. No charge to describe your problem and be pointed in the right direction.
- 01
You get in touch
Tell us the postcode, the system type if you know it, and what is happening. If you do not know what you have, describe the covers and we will work it out.
- 02
We work out what you need
Off-mains problems are often misdiagnosed. We will tell you what you are most likely dealing with, at no charge.
- 03
We point you at a specialist
Where a local off-mains drainage firm covers your area, your details go to them. Where there is no good match, we will say so and tell you what to look for, rather than passing you to whoever is nearest.
- 04
They quote you directly
Any contractor you are put in touch with quotes you themselves. No obligation, and you are free to compare against anyone else.
Local ground knowledge
Built for off-mains Shropshire
Shropshire is one of the most rural counties in England, and a huge share of its homes, farms and businesses sit beyond the reach of any public sewer. For those properties drainage is personal: your own tank, your own soakaway, your own responsibility under the Environment Agency's rules.
Off-mains drainage in Shropshire has its own particular problems. The heavy clays of the north Shropshire plain swallow soakaways, the narrow lanes of the south-west hills test a tanker, and the 2020 General Binding Rules mean many older septic tanks now need upgrading. If any of that affects your property, this site will explain it plainly and, where a firm covers your area, put you in touch with one that works on these systems.
- Straight answers
- A good contractor will tell you when a repair will do. Knowing that before you ring one is the point of this site.
- Everything in writing
- Findings and prices in writing, so you can compare them against anyone else and keep them for when you sell.
- The right ground
- Clay plain, limestone edge or border hill. Systems need sizing and siting for the ground they actually sit in.
- When it goes wrong
- Overflowing tank or sewage backup, the first steps that limit the damage are free and on this site.
Areas covered
The whole county: every market town and the countryside between, plus the Shropshire side of the Welsh Marches.
Need a hand with your tank or drains?
Describe the problem and we will tell you what you are most likely dealing with, and put you in touch with a local specialist where one covers your area. No charge for that, and no obligation.