Guides
Plain-language guides to the rules and options for a private house: septic systems, rainwater, water testing and treatment.
Drainage field UK: percolation test, size and distances
How to do a percolation test, which Vp results allow a drainage field, sizing with A = P × Vp × 0.25, groundwater, layout and distance rules and what is banned.
Roof Runoff and Dry Well Sizing: US Rules and Rainfall Data
Roof water can’t go into a septic system. Where downspouts may discharge, dry well setbacks, a sizing method with an example, and NOAA storm depths by city.
Private water supply testing UK: what to test and cost
Is testing a private well or borehole compulsory in the UK, which parameters and limits to check, UKAS-accredited labs, sampling tips and 2026 prices in pounds.
Water treatment for a private supply UK: filters explained
Sediment filter, iron removal, softener, carbon, reverse osmosis and UV for a private water supply: what each removes, input limits, order and UK approvals.
Septic Drain Field Size and Perc Test: US Rules Explained
How a perc test sizes a septic drain field, how many square feet a 3-bedroom home needs, groundwater separation, and why seepage pits are a last resort.
Septic System Rules in the US: Tank Size, Setbacks, Permits
Septic rules in the US are set by states. When you must hook up to sewer, how tanks are sized by bedrooms, setbacks from wells and lot lines, and pumping.
Septic System Types and Costs in the US (2026 Prices)
Conventional, chamber, aerobic, mound or sand filter septic systems: what each one is, what it costs in 2026 and what state rules require for each type.
Septic tank rules UK: when allowed, size, distances (2026)
When England, Scotland and Wales allow a septic tank, registration and permits, minimum tank size, distances from the house and boreholes, bans and emptying.
Septic tank or treatment plant? UK options and costs 2026
Septic tank with drainage field, treatment plant, mound or cesspool: what UK rules allow, which one you need and typical 2026 installation costs in pounds.
Soakaway design UK: where roof water goes and how big
Where UK rules let you drain roof water, why never into a septic tank, soakaway distances and a BRE 365 sizing example with rainfall for eight UK places.
Water softener for very hard or mineral-rich water: UK guide
What a water softener does and does not do: dissolved solids stay, sodium rises, how much hardness to leave, when you need reverse osmosis, UK limits and costs.
Water Softener for Very Hard or Salty Well Water: What It Does
A softener swaps calcium and magnesium for sodium — it doesn’t lower TDS. How much sodium it adds, US limits, salt use, and when you need reverse osmosis.
Water softener installation UK: drain, bypass and brine
UK rules and installer practice for a water softener or reverse osmosis unit: drain and air gap, bypass, power, drinking water tap and where the brine may go.
Water Softener Installation: Drain, Air Gap and Brine Rules
Softener placement: drain, air gap, bypass, power, no freezing. Can the brine go into a septic tank? What New York, Connecticut, Minnesota and California say.
Private Well Water Testing in the US: What to Test, Cost
No federal law makes you test a private well — the owner is responsible. What EPA says to test each year, how to find a certified lab, and typical lab prices.
Well Water Treatment Systems: Types, Limits and NSF Rules
Sediment filter, iron filter, softener, carbon, reverse osmosis and UV: what each removes, input limits, the right order and US certification rules.