A t = p X V p X 0. Jan 20, 2015. The price varies depending on the size of the septic tank and the time it will take to both empty and clean it. You must have 7 metres of distance between your home and your septic tank. Rainwater goes to separate soakaway and toilets, showers, sinks, machine etc to septic tank. However the soakaway is now struggling to cope with the use from our house, especially now we seem to get biblical style weather more frequently… I need to. Soak away distance away from house and the correct size please and how many is needed. Distance of soakaway from buildings: 5: Aug 30, 2010:. Septic Tank is installed where there is no proper drainage system. Common soakaway designs include trenches, pits, and modular systems made from various materials like concrete, plastic, or stone. Beyond that and the minimum clearance distance is that we have already given above on this page, distance is going to be determined by the site and the available space. What is the maximum distance a leach field can be from tank discharge. ISBN. 6m deep. 5 meters down, as a general rule of thumb for a driveway with a width of around 100 meters. This discharge does not require a Drainage Field. A Soakage Pit is a covered, porous-walled chamber that allows water to slowly soak into the ground. 0 3. The soakaway must be a minimum of 10 metres from a watercourse, 15 metres from a building and 50 metres from a borehole or spring. 0m from any houses or buildings. A simpler approach is to excavate the trial pit to establish whether a soakaway is likely to work or not, rather than determine just how effectively it will actually work. So for a three bedroom house with a maximum occupancy of five people, using the above example of VP 18: 18 x 5 x 0. distance required for septic tanks and soakways 600x600 c. Question: OSSF Clearance Distance for Septic in Texas . The soakaway is typically not that deep when compared to a septic tank. 8m from ground level. At this stage, the soakaway size should also be determined so that it fits in with the size of your house. This is to prevent subsidence of the wall and to stop rainwater on your property from flowing into your neighbour's garden. see note 11 for dual system and soakaways. 0. Within 6 months. Refill the hole and time how long the water takes to seep away from the 75% point to the 25% point (this is 150mm). You must drain into a soakaway unless it is impracticable to do so ie the existing ground conditions will not allow a soakaway to work or you do not have the space to build one (they need to be min 5m away from any buildings). A dry well or drywell is an underground structure that disposes of unwanted water, most commonly surface runoff and stormwater, in some cases greywater or water used in a groundwater heat pump. Soakaway crates help to control the level of surface water, particularly in areas that are prone to flooding. Septic soakaway bed / drainfield shape & layout guidelines:. After about two metres distance from the bungalow the pipe descended a lot more rapidly, and, so I now had to dig a constant path to follow it. . down 4 feet in one afternoon but was still not free of the clay. Reed beds are quite small — a typical 4-bedroom house with 4 people living in it will need a reed bed of 8 to. Hi everyone, Thanks for the info ref the soak-away test, suitability in clay and the common 70's practice. (MORE: Get to Know Your Options for Off-Mains Drainage) Klargester reed bed system from. And one central Soakaway and we channeled the bathroom and kitchen water to the Soakaway. . 47m. See more of Soakaway crates on Facebook. The size of your soakaway for your driveway will depend on the rainfall in your area, your soil's water retention as well as the size of your driveway. 25years old but in good working order. You should recieve some clips or ties with the crates. Flat roof 3m x 6. House Plans India; Free House Plans PDF USA Style; 20*50 House Plan | 1000 sq ft House Plan; 30 x 50 House Plans; 30×40 House Plans | 1200 sq ft House Plan; East Facing House Plan; 3 Bedroom House Plans; Civil Engg Menu Toggle. V soak = 15 × 300/1000. 1,000-gallon septic tanks are 8 feet 2 inches long, 5 feet 8 inches wide, and 5 feet 1 inch deep. ie the length of your house in metres multiplied by the width. I do advise that the slabs slope away from the house which may help minimise the need for drainage. We do this for two reasons. By collecting run-off and dispersing it over a large area, it acts as a gutter for your ground. The trenches for the soakaway should be between 300mm and 900mm wide with a distance of 2m between trenches. But, to get there, the surface water has to first leave your guttering. 1 T he effect of storage capacity. When the soil starts to build up in the soakaway, you can cover it with heavy duty fabric. 2662m3. Ideally you prefer a soakaway rate of 1 x 10-5m/s in order to achieve the half emptying time. 2 – How Far Away From the House Must it be Located? The regulations state that a rainwater soakaway must be located at least five metres from the wall of a building and. Mary Long-Dhonau explains: “ [The size of your soakaway] will vary depending on a number of factors, including the size of your driveway area, number of. The soakaway should then be filled with 10mm limestone chippings; Soakaway Installation. i have looked in the valiant manual and it says distance for external pipe should be minimal to prevent freezing then it goes on to say should be a max of 3 metre with a 45mm fall per. A inspection chamber must be installed between the septic tank and. A t = Area of the drainage field in m 2. g. (d) A soakaway pit or trench should be located sufficiently far away from building foundations, watercourses and wells, in order to safeguard public health and maintain the structural integrity of nearby buildings. A soak pit or a soakaway is a closed porous chamber that is directly connected to a primary treatment unit of residential or commercial building. V p = Percolation value. septic tank distance from house How far should a septic tank be from a house? How far should a soakaway be from a building? How far should the soakaway be from a well,. This can be caused by natural movements in the soil or say by driving a heavy car etc over the drainage field. VP x Population x 0. 5 3. 5 meters from any building and any boundary. Hi, a soak away should be a minimum of 5 metres away from your property and if your drive is sloping towards the house you need a minimum of a ACO drain against. It’s also recommended that your septic tank be located within 30 metres of an access point to allow for your tank to be easily emptied when required. soakaway. Please contact BlockBusters Drainage and Plumbing Services on. Must be 15 metres away from any house or building. This ensures aerobic. SD 8-2-307 Rev 9 Surface Water Land Drain and Soakaway Details: Rev 9 12/Apr/2022 01:11 PM SD 8-2-308 Rev 8 Foul Sewer – Pipe Bedding Details – Flexible Pipes : Rev 8. . 020 = 15 feet long Direct Water Away From Your House Locate your soakage trench where water from your downspouts or rainwater harvesting. . Building, planning and design. So the entire area is just under. The design shall be certified to BRE Digest 365 standard by a suitably qualified person. 4m deep (hit rock) As you can see from the pictures, it looks like clay and certainly acts like clay. How Far Should a Soakaway be From the House? You need to ensure its far enough from the structure to prevent damage — 5 metres is the accepted distance, but this also depends on the calculated size of the soakaway. CAPACITY OF SEPTIC TANK:-capable of storing sewage flow during detention period &extra volume of sludge for . I live in a house which is 1. 0 3. filled the hole at 1820, and by 2217 it had possibly (possibly) moved 2cm, but I suspect thats more hope than anything. Soakaways should be: built on land lower than, or sloping away from, buildings. In contrast, the discharge from modern small sewage treatment plants has been processed in more stages, so shouldn’t need a soakaway. Edge of soakaway 5m from any boundary. N. Using this formula we can quickly calculate the size of the soakaway that needs to be installed. In terms of other jobs, installing a new soakaway drain beneath a lawn would cost between £580 and £840. Regulation, i. 00 3. For example, if your soakaway is to be placed at the bottom of the garden and your garden is 30m long, the pipe will be 300mm deeper when it gets to the soakaway. 3. It does not have to be beautiful, to scale, nor expensive. It collects the waste foul water from a property. Typically these will be 1 in 60/70 between the house and tank, and a maximum of 1 in 200 for a drainage field. The soakaway itself does not need to. How far away should a Soak away be from the house when laying imprinted concrete,and where should drains be fitted when drive. For this, dig a hole at least 1. This. 13 Aug 2013. 5 3. 5m from any building ie wall. The average lifespan of a septic system is estimated at 15 to 40 years, but it may last longer if properly maintained. 10-meter-distance (34-foot) from a stream or ditch It should be 50 meters (164 feet) away. They look like land drains to me. Soils with a clay content of more than 20% are generally unsuitable for infiltration. 0 3. POSITIONS. Don’t delay we can help you today! Call 0800 181 684 for all your drainage needs. (A separation distance of 25m is specified for free water surface constructed wetlands to neighbouring dwelling houses. e. lay a channel drain and make a soakaway from milk cratesIn this video we will show you how to lay a channel drain leading into a soakaway. The trenches for the soakaway should be between 300mm and 900mm wide with a distance of 2m between trenches. A soakaway system can be used on its own to control waste water, or it can be combined with a septic tank in cases where there isn’t a suitable area for a. First things first, your soakaway or drainage field should be at least 15 metres away from any building and 50 metres from a water supply, a well for example. Similarly if the soakaway drains a driveway, the catchment area is the area of the hardstanding. We recently moved into an old terraced house (c. If you have to install a new ST, it must be 5 metres from a building, 5 metres from a boundary or road, and 10 metres from a watercourse. Log In. 0 3. If the pipe starts in a trench 300mm deep the bottom of the pipe will be 600mm below the ground when it gets to the soakaway. #1 Hi guys, does anyone know whether British Standards state if there is a min distance a rainwater soakaway has to be from a property and a neighbours. Hey all, My driveway project is about to start. #2. Refill the hole and time how long the water takes to seep away from the 75% point to the 25% point (this is 150mm). Calculate: A sp (area of base of soak pit) = 5. Which body is responsible for enforcing the location of the soakaway being a sufficient distance from the boundary, and also the new building, in accordance with Council Policy? Is. _____ Price €6. The insides of the excavation can become smeared, particularly by mechanical diggers building a soakaway in clay soils. After (just recently) reading to manufactures instructions concerning the soakaway its states it need needs to be. however I would try and use this to gently persuade your neighbour to move it the 5 metre distance, before bringing in the big guns! Good luck. 1895) with a small front yard. 3. filled the hole at 1820, and by 2217 it had possibly (possibly) moved 2cm, but I suspect thats more hope than anything. The width of the trenches is prescribed, between 300mm and 900mm at a maximum. 5m 13. A wastewater treatment system is an effective, economical way of treating wastewater from buildings. 4m (400 litres/0. 22 ex VAT) View Details. Soakaways manage surface water at its source instead of draining it away via a stream or sewer system. The system performs this function through these 3 steps: Rapid Separation of solid waste from wastewater. We've just pruned back a large rosebush to find that the guttering downpipe has rusted away and separated from the section that goes underground. CMOStores. for land drain & trench soak away, pipe bedding and surround to be 20mm. The two septic tank Got Filled and the Soakaway. . On 2017-01-18 by (mod) re: maximum distance from house to septic tank depends on these factors: Ray You ask a fair and common question: the maximum distance from house to septic tank is not, by anything I've read, specified by codes or standards but. Around here it's 1m x 1m x 1m. orDig down about 3 metres out along the line in a long narrow slit trench at right angles to the run, until you either find or don't find the pipe. septic tank distance from house How far should a septic tank be from a house? How far should a soakaway be from a building? How far should the soakaway be from a well,. 5 metres away from surface water soakaway. Mark the hole 75mm (3in) from the bottom and 75mm (3in) from the top by pushing 6 inch nails into the sides of the of the percolation test hole. All groups and messages. 00 3. When wastewater is discharged into a soak-pit, it slowly soaks into the ground. South. Assume. from the house and fill with rubble then cover over with dramp proof membrane then top soil. Regulation, i. . Ask at the builders merchants, and explain what you want it for. A inspection chamber must be installed between the septic tank and the soakaway. Whats the minimum distance you would want to place your drain field from your septic tankA Soak Pit, also known as a soakaway or leach pit, is a covered, porous-walled chamber set in the ground that allows water to slowly percolate. Step 2: If you do, apply online (you can do this if you have started or even finished the work on your property) Step 3: Book an inspection. The soakaway should then be filled with 10mm limestone chippings; Soakaway Installation. These septic component clearance distance tables below give distance requirements between septic components and wells, streams, trees, property boundaries, lakes, etc. It has oil central heating, can anyone give me an idea of running costs? It's a good size Victorian farmhouse. Contrary to what you believe, digging a big hole next to your house will cause it to fill up with water and the area will be permanently wet. Calculate your soakaway size. Fill your pit; Fill the bottom of your pit with about 15cm of compacted sand or shingle. If you have to install a new ST, it must be 5 metres from a building, 5 metres from a boundary or road, and 10 metres from a watercourse. You should recieve some clips or ties with the crates. Reaction score. Log In. To build a soakaway, you will need drainage pipes and gravel. If you’re unsure of what requirements your property has, please consult with the Binding. Or get some. Soak Pit Design. Unfortunately, in my case that's quite far from the back of the house so it would involve extensive pipework, including under my driveway, and be very expensive. I had actually noticed a bit of rainwater getting in to the crawlspace under the house in. M. Or undertake a new Installation. Groups. Country. After, we discharged the Septic Tank. It’s also recommended that your septic tank be located within 30 metres of an access point to allow for your tank to be easily emptied when required. 5 3. (LPAs) might require that you keep a distance of 10-15 feet between your fence and shed for safety reasons or other legal considerations. These septic component clearance distance tables below give distance requirements between septic components and wells, streams, trees, property boundaries, lakes, etc. The treatment system must have been inspected under this inspection plan and an advisory notice issued by the local authority under the Water. A inspection chamber must be installed between the septic tank and the soakaway. The water table is 1m below the base of. If it is less than this, you should seek advice from a builder. co. Same distances apply to the soakaway. You’ll need a new bottle gulley under the new down pipe. As new wastewater enters the septic tank, it displaces the water that's already there. Broken down, labour costs average around £240 per day. 1 for toilet which enters a manhole within 2 metres of building and then onto two other manholes and eventually a soakaway tank arrangement . First published in 1991 as a replacement for the old BRE 151, BRE 365 has become the standard methodology for soakaway design in the UK. Refill the hole with water the next day and time how long it takes for the water to seep away from 75% full to 25% full. R. Within 5m of a building or road, 2. Regression analysis for the bacteriological quality of borehole water in relation to soak away distance: Summary output REGRESSION STATISTICS Multiple R 0. . For a house with well-draining soils and 750 square feet of rooftop to be managed, the soakage trench should be 15 feet long. To calculate the size/volume of a rubble filled soakaway, the same calculation can be used but the result divided by 0. This enables aerobic contact between the effluent and the drainage stone and soil particles. These are available from us. This water flows out of the tank and into soakaway drainage field. 5 3. This can be caused by natural movements in the soil or say by driving a heavy car etc over the drainage field. For deeper excavations please seek specialist advice. 5 metres from the boundary. All Civil Engineering MCQ; Structural Analysis MCQ; Hydrology MCQ; Remote. Building, planning and design. Your sewage treatment plant has to be 5 metres away from trees, fences and hedges, 10 metres away from a watercourse or stream, and 50 metres away from any lake or foreshore. Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH. ” It is clear that the “5m rule” was intended to be a guideline and that infiltration or unlined attenuation can be allowed closer to building foundations if it can be demonstrated that it is safe to do so. " As for the soakaway/drainage field this should be as follows. Select a soakaway filter. Home | BC HousingSt. 2. ianmcd said: yes it should be a min of 500mm away and yes you can buy the soak away container but there is no regulation that I am aware of that says you have to use such a container, the lime chips just neautralise the acid in the condensate discharge. 5 3. This discussion moved to SEPTIC CLEARANCE DISTANCES - TEXAS 18 Aug 2015. in you case you could run a pipe across the front of the building and join at 1 corner. Your patio can be laid directly against your outside walls providing it is 150mm below existing Damp proof course. Devon. Question: OSSF Clearance Distance for Septic in Texas . The key elements of the Part H rules are that the soakaway must be 5 meters from a building or road. #1. On 2016-11-09 by (mod) - How far can I put the septic tank from the house? Distance from house to septic tank is limited by your site size, dimensions, local setback laws, and by the slope or relative elevations of the land (or use of a septic pump). The soakaway must not be in an area of unstable ground or where the lowest point of the soakaway meets the water table at any point of the year. Beyond that and the minimum clearance distance is that we have already given above on this page, distance is going to be determined by the site and the available space. On 2022-01-31 by Tyler . Location. Fill the hole with water and allow it to seep away overnight. Most gullies used in the UK are manufactured with a bend. Design Considerations of Soak Pit 1. See more of Soakaway crates on Facebook. 3m. trench. below ground, buried in trenches filled with. Designing the drainage fieldI am moving the fall pipe for a roof of approximate 15metres long and need to create a soak away (not on mains drains). If above ground the condensate pipe must be protected with a waterproof lagging. septic tank distance from house How far should a septic tank be from a house? How far should a soakaway be from a building? How far should the soakaway be from a well,. P is. if, for the soakaway location, r on Figure 1 = 0. In many cities it is possible to maintain the sewer system, which routes the sewage from the septic tank of each home to a treatment plant. 5m = 19. Adding a filter to your soakaway will stop silt and dirt clogging up your soakaway. The soakaway must be a minimum of 10. The drainage should be installed at a low point in the affected area to allow it to drain surface water away to storm drain, or a Soakaway. Menu. 1,250-gallon septic tanks can support a 4-bedroom home. It also incorporates previous amendments. POSITIONS. in you case you could run a pipe across the. For more complex designs, soakaways can take up to two days to install and therefore are likely to cost around £2,500. These are used to hook up the crates to prevent movement while the side-filling materials are added. Wisconsin Leech field was built on slope. . A drain field is made of solid perforated pipes (NOT 'Flexicoil' land drainage pipe!), a minimum of 2 metres apart and a maximum of 700mm. For example, 50m2 roof area requires a rubble filled soakaway of (50m 2 x(50/3000))/0. Methods To determine the minimum safe distance of a tubewell from a pit latrine in different hydrogeological conditions of Bangladesh, 20 monitoring wells were. Just like changing the oil in your car, maintaining your septic system extends its life for a small cost compared to the expense of installing a new system, which typically runs $15,000 or more. I am wondering are there separation distances required between a proposed soakaway and nearby well/percolation areas etc? Surely a soakaway is just filled with rainwater which cannot interfere with these items. Septic tank is approx. I have to state that it was hard work digging the hole, as it. Contact Teckna Group for soakaway borehole drillinghouse are joined to the underground foul water drainage by the following two methods:. flameport said: You cannot build a soakaway next to your house. A soakaway is a hole in the ground that has been filled with pebbles, rubble and coarse stones. Full Drainage Design Suite. Fill the soakaway hole with gravel or rubble up to the point that the layer is about 2cm away from the surface of the hole. 5 May 2020. This is called a percolation test. For this reason homogenous clays are generally unsuited to soakaways as they can have very low infiltration rates. the back garden is on a slight slope towards the house, so they said this would remedy. Hogarth House 1994 - one of the best septic system books around, suffering a bit from small fonts and. 95 (£48. You can either infill with clean hardcore or crates (see what BC will accept: some insist on crates) but either way line the hole with Terram. I was wondering if the distance from a house to. Summary: This Standard gives design guidance on how soakaways shall be incorporated into systems used to treat and. 4 m 3. Soakaways should be constructed in a circuit to make a continuous loop. #2. Blocked Soakaway ·A quick one. It must not be constructed nearby a. Little monitoring of soakaway performance is done, but this could be most informative about changes in soil infiltration rate and in warning of soakaway blockage in the long term. Soakaway Pit Design. You can either infill with clean hardcore or crates (see what BC will accept: some insist on crates) but either way line the hole with Terram. The principles are the same whether you are building a small domestic garden soakaway or driveway soakaway, or if you are building a large surface water drainage soakaway to. For small soakaways serving 25m² or less, a design rainfall of 10mm in 5 minutes is quoted in the Building Regulation Approved Document H as being an appropriate worst case. Forums. 331m3 with 20% void = 0. ACO Water Management 's Oliver Collins. 5 3. 1. Sizing of the soakaway will depend on how much rainwater it will have to take - however many councils will have a standard size that they are happy with. 5. i have looked in the valiant manual and it says distance for external pipe should be minimal to prevent freezing then it goes on to say should be a max of 3 metre with a 45mm fall per. It's 18,000 for 2 users + (6,800 x 3) 20,400 for 3 additional users equalling 38,400 total capacity. Note – Check manufacturer’s instructions to see if an air break is required. 10 metres away from the open drain. See more of Soakaway crates on Facebook. MCQ Menu Toggle. Approved Document H gives guidance on additional measures needed where drains have to run close to foundations. In New Zealand a common method of managing rain water is Soak Holes. No thanks for the thread hi-jack BaS. 2. ResearchGate | Find and share researchI have a porch with about 8m2 of pitched roof that runs into a gutter and a downpipe that discharged onto the driveway. 0m from any houses or buildings. Country. As the effluent seeps into the ground, it is purified by the soil, which uses bacteria to digest the pollutants and remove excess nitrogen and. If you find the pipe, go out another 3 metres. the distance between the pan outlet and the bottom of the Rest Bend must be less than 1. The water table should not reach the bottom of the pit at any time of the year. Soakaways can be blocked by rainwater, which can quickly turn into an expensive issue. ie Web: . A Soakaway is a pit or trench where surface water is allowed to collect and slowly soak into the surrounding soil or rock. 5 to 3 yrs. If you have replaced your treatment system but all these points. Septic Tanks and Soakaway Page 11 ANNEXURE 1 – SABS 0400-1990 Tables 1, 2 and 3 ANNEXURE 2 – Diagram of a Concrete Septic Tank ANNEXURE 3 – Diagram of Various Storage Tanks ANNEXURE 4 – Diagram of a Trench Soakaway ANNEXURE 5 – Diagram of a Circular SoakawaySeverntrent Screwfix Select. 5 x 0. Condensate Soakaway Code: SOAK1GR 500mm minimum 300mm Hole width 200mm CODE: SOAK1GR Hole and SOAK1GR filled with 10mm Limestone Chippings Holes in SOAK1GR to face away from wall Hole depth 400mm Ground Level Maximum Possible Gradient Side Connection Top Connection 2 300mm 1 3 Ø110mm Ø100mm 5 4. If you have opened a surface only drain, the dyed test water will only show up when the dye is added to a surface drainage point. My question is will a soakaway built that close to the wall cause any issues with the garden wall foundations? I am proposing to build a 1m3 soakaway to cope with the run off from the patio plus the. Drainage; Concrete; Steel; Retaining Walls; Structural Analysis; Roads & Pavementsother permeable surfaces with a soakaway that introduces all the water at a single point can lead to ground softening, foundation failure, and slope instability. Gravel Rubble Heavy-duty landscaping fabric Drainage pipe (optional and at least 75mm in diameter as this the minimum required for a surface water drainage system) Steps: To. sited to take account of. Be sure to consider any regulations around minimum clearance heights and obstructions. O. It allows water to filter through it, and literally soak into the ground ( away ). . 5m2. The 2015 edition of Approved Document H (Drainage and Waste Disposal) contains changes to guidance on waste disposal. Ensure you connect the gutter securely to the eave of the roof. If we can run a 22mm pipe back across to the main drain then that sounds a lot less expensive than a foul pipe over the same distance. This is to avoid any issue or possible interaction with either your property or. BS 6297: 2007 states that for a Sewage Treatment Plant a factor of 0. Full drainage design suite (50% Discount) including 7 spreadsheets; Trench Soakaways consist of long narrow trenches filled with gravel or single size stone. Remember, any excavation deeper than 1. Therefore given a VP of 36 and 5 people you will have: 36 x 5 x 0. you have not changed the volume of the discharge or, if you have, it’s not more than 2 cubic metres (2,000 litres) to ground. Estimate of Soak Pit. Distance from Septic Tank to house. ie Web: . Soak pit must be located away from the drinking source, usually 30m distance away. Does this mean I can site my soakaway much closer to the boundary (2-3 m) than Building Regs require. To calculate the size of the soakaway, use this formula: Area = P x V x. I'm in the process of getting planning for a house. 0m; Soakaways to be honeycombed brickwork, hollow concrete rings, or storage cells; Volume required = design area x rainfall (0. Mostly they were laid by contractors, who came in with a wacking great machine to cut the trench, then the clay pipes were dropped in by hand. 3 flats with one septic tank, the other flat with one Septic Tank. In 2020 guy said he thought there might be an issue with the soakaway as he thought he heard water draining back in. These can absorb 5 litres per m2 per day. . Septic Soakaway Installation, Leach Field or Drainage Field Installation UK. Next, a long channel drain is placed in the trench. 4. A stratum of sand and fine gravel is spread across the lowermost layer to aid in the dispersion of water. The owner also said they had a soakaway in the garden rather than a septic tank. Before installing the soakaway, you have to dig a test pit, fill it with water and time how long it takes to drain away. All soakaways must be sited at least 5m from any building or road and preferably at least 2. All soakaways must be sited at least 5m from any building or road and preferably at least 2. Pipes should be laid on a 300mm layer of shingle or medium of up to 50mm. 5m of a boundary or in an area of unstable land in ground where the water table reaches the bottom of the soakaway at any time of the year. After (just recently) reading to manufactures instructions concerning the soakaway its states it need needs to be. The condensate pipe goes strait in to the ground right next to my. The distance you need to be away depends partly on the soil so if you are wanting to get close to the house (say, closer than 2 or 3 times the wall height) you would definitely want to talk to an engineer. Soak pit construction procedure. Flush your toilets, do your laundry, all with rainwater which will never present you with limescale problems and you use far less detergent as it is so soft.