What is the minimum depth for a soakaway?

200mm
How deep should a soakaway be? The Perforated pipe should be laid at a minimum depth of 200mm and a maximum depth of 700mm. This enables aerobic contact between the effluent and the drainage stone and soil particles.

Do I need building regs for a soakaway?

Why use a soakaway? Building Regulations require you to adequately dispose of stormwater from the building. You must use a soakaway if design criteria can be met. Discharging stormwater into a drain will only be allowed if soakaways or other infiltration methods are not suitable.

What is the difference between a drain and a soakaway?

What is the difference between a drainage field and a soakaway? To summarise the difference between the two, a drainage field is designed to add additional treatment to the water. Whereas a soakaway is designed to store a large volume of water allowing time for it to release into the ground (i. e. in a heavy downpour).

How many soakaway crates do I need?

Effective Roof Area (Square Metres)	Size of Soakaway Required (Cubic Metres)	Number of Polystorm Crates Required
40 m²	0.8m³ (800 litres)	4
50 m²	1.0m³ (1000 litres)	5
60 m²	1.2m³ (1200 litres)	6
80 m²	1.6m³ (1600 litres)	8

How do you make a simple soakaway?

To construct a basic stand alone soak away or one to use as a dispersal point for a French drain system where the water will gradually seep away into the surrounding soil. Dig a large hole in the ground, line the sides with heavy-duty landscaping fabric, to keep the earth from over time clogging up the gravel.

How long will a soakaway last?

How Long Do Soakaways Last? They should last the life of the house, at least 100 years but only if installed correctly and filters are used to prevent leaves and other material clogging the soakaway.

How much water can a soakaway take?

Soakaway crates have an inlet that allows up to 97% of their occupied space to fill with water.

How long does a soakaway last?

Do Soakaways need maintenance?

Maintenance. A soakaway shouldn’t require any maintenance, but it is a good idea to lift the cover and check the structure every few months or so to check for silting or contamination.

How deep should a soakaway crate be?

Soakaway Depth You should allow for 150mm base, side and top fill, plus a minimum additional 150mm top cover for garden applications (350mm for light traffic applications).

How close can Soakaways be to each other?

The regulations state that a rainwater soakaway must be located at least five metres from the wall of a building and at least two and a half metres from a boundary. This is to prevent subsidence of the wall and to stop rainwater on your property from flowing into your neighbour’s garden.

Is there a minimum depth for a soakaway?

There is no minimum or maximum depth. The amount of water the soakaway can hold and how quickly (or slowly) the water seeps away into the ground are the critical factors, not vertical depth or horizontal spread. You should locate the soakaway at a low point in the garden, so water runs down to it (water doesn’t like to flow uphill).

How does a soakaway for garden drainage work?

Connect up the drainage pipes or French drains to carry the water to it and the water will gradually seep away into the surrounding soil. Over time unless the gravel is wrapped soil will eventually clog up the soak-away.

Where does the water come from for a soakaway?

A soakaway is a large hole dug into the ground usually around 5-8 metres away from a property or in the middle of a garden. Rainwater from roof gutters, conservatories, driveways, patios and gardens is diverted into it where it then seeps into the ground.

Which is the lowest percolation rate for a soakaway?

The infiltration rate velocity at which water disperses into the ground. It is usually measured in m/s. The lowest percolation rate at which a soakaway is still efficient is 1 x10-6 m/s. The infiltration rates depend on the type of soil encountered on site.