23/9/10 - Consumer Warning

Consumer Warning for Owners of On- Site Septic Tank, Wastewater Treatment, and Filter Systems.

• Consumer Protection and EU Product Safety Laws are being ignored.

• Unsafe and inappropriate Codes of Practice are being enforced.

• Unsubstantiated Building Product Certifications are being legitimised

• Environmental Liability Laws are being ignored.

• Legal Standards for Wastewater Treatment Products are being ignored.

• Designers, Suppliers providing inadequate, unsafe systems with spurious or misleading certifications.

• Designers and those in the supply chain are facilitated in evading responsibility when a problem arises.

• European Court Rulings are being disregarded, exposing the country to heavy financial penalties.

This situation exposes consumers to malpractice, property devaluation, and legal liability issues.

Consumer protection

The consequence of Government policy makes the homeowners victims of and liable for:

Pollution of drinking water, Foul odours, Surface ponding of sewage, Frequent pump outs, Insect or vermin infestation,  Environmental pollution liability, Public health hazard, Absence of system guarantee or designer indemnity, Inadequate access to system making service impossible, Devaluation of property or it becoming a liability to owner, Exposure to costs associated with toxic waste disposal of filter systems .

Homeowners can have grounds for redress under various consumer protection laws. Contact us for free advice and support.

Solution

Homeowners can avoid this exposure by insisting that the system designer, supplier/installer provides:

• Certificate of compliance with Building, Health and Safety, General Product Safety and Consumer Protection, Regulations signed by a member of Chartered Engineering/Architectural institute.
• Professional indemnity insurance cover for design and certification of the treatment and disposal system
• Product liability insurance cover for the wastewater treatment and disposal system.