Percolation Tests provides BRE365 soakaway percolation testing and foul infiltration testing across Kidderminster and the surrounding Wyre Forest district.
We are based in Wolverhampton, roughly 15 miles away, so Kidderminster is genuinely local work rather than a long trip. We have carried out 80 tests within fifteen miles of Kidderminster and 210 within twenty-five, so the ground around the town is familiar to us.
Ground conditions in Kidderminster
Kidderminster sits on sandstone geology along the River Stour, generally offering better percolation than the heavier clay found elsewhere in Worcestershire. That said, floodplain areas near the river and pockets of alluvial deposits can still drain slowly, so a site-specific test remains the only reliable way to confirm suitability for a soakaway.
In practice that means results around Kidderminster are rarely uniform. Sandstone can take water well, but where glacial till, boulder clay or made ground sits over it the picture changes within a very short distance — one corner of a plot can drain freely while another barely moves. Ground water matters here too: BRE365 requires the base of a soakaway to stay clear of the water table, and a site can fail on that alone however well the soil itself drains. None of it can be read off a map, which is why the test is asked for.
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 Kidderminster
Applications in the Kidderminster area are dealt with by Wyre Forest District 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.
Foul drainage and septic tanks
If the site is not on mains foul drainage that is a separate test. Drainage fields for septic tanks and package treatment plants are sized by the method in BS 6297, referenced by Part H of the Building Regulations, and that figure is not interchangeable with a BRE365 result. Plenty of rural sites around Kidderminster need both, and we can do them on the same visit.
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 Kidderminster, Stourport-on-Severn, Bewdley, and the surrounding Wyre Forest villages. Available Monday to Friday.
Get a quote
Contact us for a free, no-obligation quote for percolation or infiltration testing anywhere in Kidderminster. Call 01902 475653 or request a quote online.
Percolation testing around Kidderminster
Each dot is a site we have tested. 30 within ten miles of Kidderminster, 164 within twenty-five.
Also serving Worcestershire
This page is part of our coverage across Worcestershire, which also includes:
Recent work near Kidderminster
