Update Revamp Your Tank

Kalum House

Revamp Your Tank scheme breaks new ground

A project that brings Wiltshire Council and Wessex Rivers Trust together to preserve the Hampshire Avon Catchment and safeguard water quality has seen work on the  ground start for the first time.  

The Revamp your Tank scheme is an initiative with the aim of upgrading septic tanks to more efficient package treatment plants where they are needed. It seeks to reduce  nutrient-rich wastewater entering watercourses and, in turn, enhance the health of  aquatic ecosystems for our wildlife and communities.  

Wiltshire Council and Wessex Rivers Trust invited residents in the eligible areas of the Hampshire Avon catchment in Wiltshire to apply to have their tanks upgraded  through the scheme. Since April, close to 1,000 applications have been received,  
and the application process remains open. Installation work on the first batch of
projects is now underway, with representatives from Wiltshire Council, including
Cabinet Member Cllr Dominic Muns, attending a site near Donhead St. Mary to see some of the work taking place for themselves.  

Collectively, the two contractors working with the council and Wessex Rivers Trust on the project have already completed site survey visits at 240 out of the 277  household projects sites issued so far. Libra Utility Services Ltd has 23 projects already approved by the council for installation work to take place, whilst Willow  Pumps Ltd has four projects approved, both with plenty more to follow.

Over the  coming months, more projects will be issued to the contractors, and the scheme aims to begin two complex pilot projects involving new connections to Wessex  Water’s mains network and projects involving multiple property connections.   

The scheme is financed by the Government’s Local Nutrient Mitigation Fund which aims to unlock housing development in the Hants Avon catchment. Additionally, the project has benefited from a Local Development Order (LDO), a process that helps accelerate the planning process by providing permitted development rights for specified types of development in defined locations. As such, the scheme has been able to progress at an impressive pace since the funding was awarded to the council in December 2023.   

Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Dominic Muns, said: “After a lot of detailed preparation and planning it’s really positive to see work happening on the ground with lots of projects in the pipeline. The Revamp Your Tank scheme will benefit the residents who are having the work done but will also play a role in the bigger picture of helping to improve and protect our precious ecosystems and environment. I’m looking forward to seeing this progress at pace over the next few months.”
  
Dave Rumble, Chief Executive of Wessex Rivers Trust, said: “Wessex Rivers Trust
is delighted to have helped make the scheme a success by raising awareness and signing-up owners of hundreds of septic tanks in locations eligible for an upgrade. Failing septic tanks, which often discharge into the globally unique chalk streams of the River Avon catchment, have been a major concern for decades and here at last is a practical solution.”  

Septic tanks, commonly used in rural locations to separate liquid and solid waste, can inadvertently release nutrient rich wastewater into rivers when they are sited  
incorrectly or malfunctioning. According to EA data, septic tanks are contributing
factor to water pollution in the Hampshire Avon catchment. The resulting high
nutrient levels lead to algal blooms, obstructing light and causing oxygen depletion in waterways. This has detrimental effects on the entire river ecosystem, impacting  crucial microhabitats for fish and insects.

To counteract this issue, a new law  mandates the upgrade of old septic tanks discharging into surface water. The fortuitously timed funding and subsequent initiative, which compliments the new upgrade laws, promotes the replacement of septic tanks with more efficient package treatment plants, tailored to each property's needs. These upgraded systems not only separate solids and liquids but also biologically treat effluent for safe discharge into watercourses.  

In participating in this initiative, homeowners can actively contribute to preserving the health of our chalk streams in the Hampshire Avon catchment. Upgrading septic tanks not only benefits the environment but also supports the flourishing of plant and animal species that rely on clean and healthy river ecosystems.  

More information about Revamp Your Tank and how to apply can be found here.