Hello,
I am new here. My husband and I are building a house. Our roof area is about 100m² (1,076 sq ft). The rainwater will be directed into a rainwater cistern. We can then use this for garden irrigation and save on wastewater fees.
If it rains too much and the cistern overflows, we need an infiltration system, which we plan to implement as a soakaway. The calculation for this system cost over 300€ and also includes a drawing showing the planned layout of the soakaway.
I am not happy with the proposed layout because I would like to plant one or two trees there. We are considering changing the layout. Of course, the volume of the infiltration system should remain the same.
Has anyone here built (or had built) something like this? Did someone from the water utility come to inspect the installation? Is it allowed to change the layout from the calculation as long as the required volume is maintained?
I hope you can help me with this.
Best regards,
LaraFee
I am new here. My husband and I are building a house. Our roof area is about 100m² (1,076 sq ft). The rainwater will be directed into a rainwater cistern. We can then use this for garden irrigation and save on wastewater fees.
If it rains too much and the cistern overflows, we need an infiltration system, which we plan to implement as a soakaway. The calculation for this system cost over 300€ and also includes a drawing showing the planned layout of the soakaway.
I am not happy with the proposed layout because I would like to plant one or two trees there. We are considering changing the layout. Of course, the volume of the infiltration system should remain the same.
Has anyone here built (or had built) something like this? Did someone from the water utility come to inspect the installation? Is it allowed to change the layout from the calculation as long as the required volume is maintained?
I hope you can help me with this.
Best regards,
LaraFee
G
Gartenfreund28 Aug 2015 20:32If you are considering building this cistern solely to save on wastewater charges for fresh water, I can tell you it’s usually not worth it. Even if you factor in the small amount of fresh water you don’t have to pay for, it takes many, many years—sometimes even decades—for such an investment to pay off. However, if the goal is to be exempt from stormwater fees, the payback period is significantly shorter. Of course, it also depends on the final cost of the system.
From my own experience, our system—including the drainage channel, pipes, etc. (everything was done 100% by ourselves)—paid off after about 5 years, and that is for an area roughly twice as large as yours. By the way, ours was installed exclusively to avoid the stormwater fees.
Now I’d like to address your main question. In our case, the tank could not be installed at the originally intended and officially approved location. I simply informed the authorities by email; their response was basically, “Okay, then just bury it somewhere else.” This happened last year, and so far no one has come to inspect it. I live in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW).
It could also be that the pipe layout and the required distance between them ensure optimal infiltration, which may no longer be the case. So I suggest you ask the person who did these calculations.
I believe the authorities don’t really mind if the pipes are not exactly where they were originally planned but shifted slightly. The only important factor is that the water does not affect neighboring properties.
In our case, we deliberately chose not to use underground infiltration because it would have been too complex. Instead, we informed the authorities that excess water is pumped and fed to surface infiltration.
From my own experience, our system—including the drainage channel, pipes, etc. (everything was done 100% by ourselves)—paid off after about 5 years, and that is for an area roughly twice as large as yours. By the way, ours was installed exclusively to avoid the stormwater fees.
Now I’d like to address your main question. In our case, the tank could not be installed at the originally intended and officially approved location. I simply informed the authorities by email; their response was basically, “Okay, then just bury it somewhere else.” This happened last year, and so far no one has come to inspect it. I live in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW).
It could also be that the pipe layout and the required distance between them ensure optimal infiltration, which may no longer be the case. So I suggest you ask the person who did these calculations.
I believe the authorities don’t really mind if the pipes are not exactly where they were originally planned but shifted slightly. The only important factor is that the water does not affect neighboring properties.
In our case, we deliberately chose not to use underground infiltration because it would have been too complex. Instead, we informed the authorities that excess water is pumped and fed to surface infiltration.
B
Bieber081531 Aug 2015 21:52LaraFee schrieb:
Is it allowed to change the layout from the calculation as long as the volume is maintained? I’m not sure if it’s officially permitted (the civil engineering department, environmental agency, or utility company can probably answer that question). Technically, it is feasible if the soil at the new location of the infiltration basin has the same or similar infiltration properties as the site used for the calculation (probably yes, but it’s better to check by reviewing the calculation and the soil report). The basic rule is: always direct water away from the building (especially important if there is a basement).
@ Progress
We have now hired the groundwork contractors to build the soakaway with a slightly different layout. We have also heard from others that it is not being inspected. We are maintaining the required volume.
@ Fee
I am referring, of course, to the regular water fee. I was told that in Saxony regular water must always be managed on your own property. So, whether or not we have a cistern, we need the infiltration system.
We have now hired the groundwork contractors to build the soakaway with a slightly different layout. We have also heard from others that it is not being inspected. We are maintaining the required volume.
@ Fee
I am referring, of course, to the regular water fee. I was told that in Saxony regular water must always be managed on your own property. So, whether or not we have a cistern, we need the infiltration system.
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