Welcome
Hello welcome to the Call of Nature – the campaign to prevent pollution in our rivers and watercourses caused by poorly maintained off mains sewage systems.
It may not be glamorous, but if we don’t look after our septic tanks, cesspits and package sewage treatment plants, they’ll start to fail. This means they’ll start to smell, spread disease to humans and animals, pollute our local rivers and seas. And nobody wants that.
Whether you live, work or are visiting the beautiful coasts and countryside of Cumbria, Lancashire and Merseyside, you’ll find lots of useful information on this page… and please do the right thing when you need to answer the call of nature.
Why should you look after your sewage treatment system?
If you look after your sewage treatment system, it’ll give you years of great service. If not, it could start to smell, spread disease and pollute local rivers and seas. Take a few minutes to find out why you should look after your system…
Getting to know your sewage treatment system
Whatever type of off mains sewage treatment system you have, it’s a good idea to make sure you understand what’s going on with it. We’ve put together some handy hints to help you get to know your system that little bit better.
Top tips for maintaining your sewage treatment system
Your sewage treatment system is an important piece of kit. A bit of careful consideration will help you to keep it in tip-top condition.
Tell-tale signs that your sewage treatment system isn’t working
There are a few tell-tale signs to keep an eye out for. If you spot any of these, it might be that your sewage treatment system isn’t working properly.
Rules for using septic tanks and small sewage treatment plants
In January 2015, new rules were introduced that simplify the way septic tanks and small sewage treatment plants are regulated in England to protect our environment and improve water quality. These new rules mean that certain septic tank systems will need to be upgraded or replaced by 1st January 2020. Don’t get caught short, download the summary guidance using the links below.
Government guidance – sewage discharge to surface water and 2020 information >
Government guidance – sewage discharge to a surface water >
Government guidance – sewage discharge to the ground >
Campaign resources
Download our campaign leaflet and poster and help keep our rivers clean.
Local stories
Find out how local river trusts across the North West are taking steps to improve water quality by downloading our local stories.
