As the rising cost of living is set to squeeze household budgets further throughout the year, it’s important to avoid overpaying for utilities.
But one of the possible contributing factors to a larger than necessary water bill may be something that predates the current crisis.
Your septic tank may be one of the many in England and Wales not connected to main sewer lines that aren’t subject to the same charges as most others.
What should I be paying for?
The amount your water bill comes to depends on numerous factors and will be set by your regional utility provider but typical charges include:
- Clean water usage
This is based on the water that is supplied to your home from your taps – i.e. drinking water – and is measured by volume
- Standing charges
Any administrative and general system maintenance tasks are included in this amount
- Surface water usage
This charge is for handling water that falls as rain on your property and drains into the sewers
- Sewerage
This covers water that is used by your property and returned to the provider via sewers – e.g. flushing your toilet
Do I need to pay sewerage charges if I have a septic tank?
If you have a septic tank that doesn’t feed directly into a public sewer, or your water company doesn’t drain and pump it out, you may be entitled to pay less.
This could involve a rebate of a percentage of fees already paid, or adjustment of future rates, or both, with reasons for this possibility including:
- You have a soakaway and wastewater drains into a stream or river
- Your property has a private sewer or cesspool (or other reason for not connecting to public sewerage)
Obviously, to qualify for any kind of reduced payment, you’ll be required to provide evidence that your septic tank system makes you eligible.
Your water company will be able to let you know what type of documentation they require and whether you are entitled to pay less.
You’ll likely need to know who does empty your tank and how much you pay – if you’re unsure how to proceed, a professional drainage survey could help.
This will confirm what type of system you have and if/how it’s connected to the public sewerage system.
Keen to find out if you’re overpaying for your water bill with a septic tank?
The only way to know for certain whether or not you should be paying sewerage charges is via confirmation following an expert inspection.
For a no obligation quote, or if you have any questions you’d like to ask, please ask us about drain surveys.