APPROVED DOCUMENT - GOV.UK

1 The Building Regulations 2010H1 Foul water drainageH2 Wastewater treatment systems and cesspoolsH3 Rainwater drainageH4 Building over sewersH5 Separate systems of drainageH6 Solid waste storageHAPPROVED DOCUMENTD rainage and waste disposal2015 editionFor use in England*ONLINE VERSIONONLINE VERSIONMAIN CHANGES IN THE2015 EDITIONThis APPROVED DOCUMENT supports Part H of Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations 2010. It takes effect on 1 October for use in England*. The 2002 edition as amended, will continue to apply to work started before 1 October 2015 or work subject to a building notice, full plans application or initial notice submitted before that main changes are: Additional guidance on solid waste storage in H6 and reference updated.

2 Consequential amendment of limits of application of requirement H3 due to amendment of Part M. * This APPROVED DOCUMENT gives guidance for compliance with the Building Regulations for building work carried out in England. It also applies to building work carried out on excepted energy buildings in Wales as defined in the Welsh Ministers (Transfer of Functions) (No 2) Order VERSIONONLINE VERSION1 APPROVED DOCUMENT H Drainage and waste disposalContentsPAGEUse of guidance 4 The APPROVED Documents 4 Limitation on requirements 4 Materials and workmanship 4 Technical specifications 4 The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare)

3 Regulations 1992 5 Safe working in drains and sewers 5 Foul water drainage The Requirement H1 6 Guidance 6 Performance 6 Introduction to provisions 6 Section 1: Sanitary pipework 7 Traps 7 Branch discharge pipes 7 Discharge stacks 10 Materials for pipes, fittings and joints 11 Workmanship 12 Air tightness 12 Alternative approach 12 Section 2: Foul drainage 13 Outlets 13 Surcharging of drains 13 Layout 13 Special protection rodent control 14 Protection from settlement 14 Depth of pipe cover 15 Pipe gradients and sizes 15 Pumping installations 16 Materials for pipes and jointing 16 Bedding and backfilling 17 Clearance of blockages 19 Workmanship 21 Testing and inspection 21 Alternative approach 22 Appendix H1-A Additional guidance for larger buildings 23 Capacity of pipes 23 Traps 23 Branch discharge pipes 23 PAGEV entilating stacks 23 Greywater recovery

4 Systems 24 Appendix H1-B Repairs, alterations and discontinued use of drains and sewers 25 Legislation 25 Power to examine and test 25 Power to require repairs 25 Power to repair drains or private sewers 25 Repair, reconstruction or alterations to underground drains or sewers 25 Sealing or removal of disused drains or sewers 25 Guidance 26 Repairs and alterations 26 Sealing disused drains 26 Appendix H1-C Adoption of sewers and connection to public sewers 27An agreement with the sewerage undertaker to adopt sewers on completion 27 Requisition of a sewer from the sewerage undertaker 27 Adoption by the sewerage undertaker at the request of the owner 27 Adoption by the sewerage undertaker at its own volition 27 Making connections to

5 Public sewers 27 Drains which could be used to drain other developments 27 Adoption of surface water sewers by the highway authority 27 Wastewater treatment systems and cesspools The Requirement H2 29 Guidance 29 Performance 29 Introduction to provisions 30 Options 30 Septic tanks 31 Siting 31 Design and construction 31 Marking 31 Drainage fields and drainage mounds 31 Siting 31 Ground conditions 32 HONLINE VERSIONONLINE VERSION2 Drainage and waste disposal APPROVED DOCUMENT HPAGED esign and construction 32 Constructed wetlands/reed beds 33 Marking 35 Packaged treatment works 35 Siting 35 Design and construction 35 Marking 35 Cesspools 35 Siting 35 Design and construction 35 Marking 35 Greywater and rainwater storage tanks 36 Alternative approach 36 Appendix H2-A Maintenance of wastewater treatment systems and cesspools 37 Legislation 37 Power to examine and test 37 Power in respect of overflowing or leaking cesspools.

6 Septic tanks, etc. 37 Power to require repairs 37 Disused septic tanks, cesspools, etc. 37 Powers of the Environment Agency 37 Guidance on maintenance 37 Septic tanks 37 Drainage fields and mounds 37 Packaged treatment works 37 Constructed wetlands/reed beds 38 Cesspools 38 Rainwater drainage The Requirement H3 39 Guidance 39 Performance 39 Introduction to provisions 40 Section 1: Gutters and rainwater pipes 40 Design rainfall intensities 40 Gutters 40 Rainwater pipes 41 Siphonic roof drainage systems 42 Eaves drop systems 42 Rainwater recovery systems 42 Materials for gutters, rainwater pipes and joints 42 Alternative approach 42 PAGES ection 2: Drainage of paved areas 43 Design rainfall intensities 44 Freedraining surfaces 44 Pervious paving 44 Drainage systems 44 Alternative approach 44 Section 3.

7 Surface water drainage 45 Outlets 45 Combined systems 45 Design rainfall intensities 45 Design 45 Layout 45 Depth of pipes 45 Pipe gradients and sizes 45 Materials for pipes and jointing 46 Bedding and backfilling 46 Clearance of blockages 46 Workmanship 46 Testing and inspection 46 Contaminated runoff 46 Soakaways and other infiltration drainage systems 46 Other types of infiltration system 46 Detention ponds 47 Alternative approach 47 Appendix H3-A Oil separators 47 Legislation 47 Technical guidance 47 Building over existing sewers The Requirement H4 48 Guidance 48 Performance 48 Introduction to provisions 48 Undue risk in the event of failure of the drain or sewer 49 Maintaining access 49 Protection of the drain or sewer during construction 49 Protection from settlement 49H CONTENTSONLINE VERSIONONLINE VERSION3 APPROVED DOCUMENT H Drainage and waste disposalPAGES eparate systems of drainage The Requirement H5 51 Guidance 51 Performance 51 Introduction to provisions 51 Provision where separate sewer systems

8 Are provided 51 Provision where separate sewer systems are proposed 52 Contaminated runoff 52 Solid waste storage The Requirement H6 53 Guidance 53 Performance 53 Introduction to provisions 53 Domestic developments 54 Capacity 54 Siting 54 Design 54 Non-domestic developments 55 Alternative approach 55 Appendix H6-A Relevant waste collection legislation 55 Collection of household waste 55 Collection of commercial and industrial waste 55 Access for removal of waste to be maintained 55 Standards referred to 56 Other publications referred to 60 DIAGRAMSH11.

9 Direct connection of ground floor WC to a drain 72. Branch connection to stacks crossflow prevention 83. Branch connections 94. Branch ventilation pipes 105. Stub stack 116. Termination of ventilation stacks or ventilation part of discharge 117. Pipes penetrating walls 158. Pipe runs near buildings 159. Discharge capacities of foul drains running proportional depth 1510. Bedding for pipes 17 PAGE11. Protection for pipes laid at shallow depths (minimum sizes) 1912. Joints for concrete encased pipes (minimum sizes) 19H21. Drainage field 322.

10 Drainage mound 333. Typical horizontal flow reed bed treatment system 344. Typical vertical flow reed bed treatment system 34H31. Rainfall intensities for design of gutters and rainfall pipes (litres per second per square metre) 412. Rainfall intensities for design of drainage from paved areas and underground rainwater drainage (litres per second per square metre) 433. Discharge capacities of rainwater drains running full 45 TABLESH11. Minimum trap sizes and seal depths 72. Common branch discharge pipes (unventilated) 93.