Percolation Tests carries out BRE365 soakaway percolation testing and foul infiltration testing across Hereford and the surrounding rural Herefordshire countryside.
We are based in Wolverhampton, about 44 miles away, and Hereford is well inside the area we cover as standard. We have carried out 65 tests within fifteen miles of Hereford and 115 within twenty-five, so the ground around the town is familiar to us.
Ground conditions in Hereford
Hereford sits on Old Red Sandstone along the River Wye, with generally workable percolation in many areas, though the low-lying floodplain close to the river and pockets of heavier loam soil can drain more slowly. Given the high proportion of private drainage systems across this rural county, foul infiltration testing is just as commonly needed here as surface water percolation testing.
The older mudstones and sandstones around Hereford weather to variable depths, and the amount of superficial cover changes quickly across a plot. Valley floors often carry alluvium and river gravels that behave completely differently from the slopes above them. Sloping sites bring a second consideration: a soakaway has to be positioned so that what it discharges does not resurface further down or affect a neighbouring property, which sometimes matters more than the raw infiltration figure.
What we test for
- BRE365 percolation testing for surface water soakaway design
- Foul effluent infiltration testing (Part H) for septic tanks and treatment plants
- Drainage strategy support for planning submissions
How the test is carried out
BRE Digest 365 sets out the procedure, and it is more demanding than it sounds. A single filling of a single hole proves very little.
- Trial pits are excavated at the proposed soakaway position, taken down below the level the soakaway will sit at. The number depends on the site and the design.
- Each pit is filled to at least 75% of its effective storage depth, which is where the timed measurement starts from.
- Each pit is then filled and timed three times over, measuring the fall from 75% to 25% of the effective depth.
- The slowest of those runs is carried into the calculation, which keeps the resulting design conservative.
The three fills and the draining time between them are why this cannot be rushed. A number produced quickly is a number that tends to get challenged.
Planning conditions in Hereford
Applications in the Hereford area are dealt with by Herefordshire Council, and drainage conditions are attached routinely — particularly on rural plots, barn conversions and self-builds with no mains surface water connection. The condition normally asks for infiltration testing to BRE365 and a soakaway design based on the result, approved before work starts.
Testing early is worth the trouble. If infiltration turns out not to be viable the drainage strategy has to change, and discovering that after the groundworks are priced is an expensive surprise.
Septic tanks and foul drainage
Surface water and foul drainage are tested differently, and the results are not interchangeable. A drainage field for a septic tank or treatment plant is sized using BS 6297, which Part H of the Building Regulations refers to. If your site near Hereford needs both a soakaway and a drainage field, we can carry out both tests in one visit rather than two.
What you receive
- A full report with the recorded times for every pit and every fill
- The calculated infiltration rate, ready to hand to your engineer or planner
- Trial pit locations and depths
- Photographs of the testing on site
- A clear statement of whether a soakaway is viable, and if not, why not
Coverage
We test across Hereford city and the surrounding rural Herefordshire villages. Available Monday to Friday.
Get a quote
Contact us for a free, no-obligation quote for percolation or infiltration testing anywhere in Hereford. Call 01902 475653 or request a quote online.
Percolation testing around Hereford
Each dot is a site we have tested. 17 within ten miles of Hereford, 91 within twenty-five.
Also serving Herefordshire
This page is part of our coverage across Herefordshire, which also includes:
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