Sewage treatment plant installation in Chichester

Why plants are replacing septic tanks around Chichester

The Manhood peninsula, the villages along the Downs and the harbour edge all have many private drainage systems, and a lot of older septic tanks there drain towards ditches, rifes and the harbour. Since 2020, a septic tank in England that discharges to a watercourse must be replaced or upgraded. For many homes around Chichester the practical fix is a sewage treatment plant, which cleans the water enough to discharge more safely.

Who installs plants here

Lemon Drainage Services, founded in 2015 in the Chichester area, designs, installs and commissions new systems and refurbishes older ones. It also runs annual service agreements and can sample the treated water. Arun Pumps, at Rustington since 1983, installs sewage treatment plants and pump stations and names Chichester in its area list, along with SafeContractor, CHAS and Constructionline accreditation. Peachy Services, from near Crawley, installs plants by Klargester, Marsh, Matrix and Tricel and names Chichester and Bognor Regis on its West Sussex page.

Which firm for which job

If you want the same firm to design, install and then service the plant for years, Lemon Drainage is local and built around service agreements. If the site needs a pump because the outfall is uphill or far away, Arun Pumps has four decades of pump work. If you want a choice of plant makers, Peachy works with several. Get at least two quotes.

What to settle before work starts

Ask who handles building control approval with Chichester District Council, whether a percolation test is needed for the drainage field, and whether your discharge stays within the general binding rules or needs an Environment Agency permit. Agree who commissions the plant and when the first service is due. Our sewage treatment plant installation page covers these questions in more depth, and the Chichester area page lists firms for emptying and repairs.

Ground and water levels

Much of the peninsula is low lying with a high water table. That affects how deep a plant can sit and whether a drainage field will work. A good installer will check this on site before quoting.

Listed contractors

Sources

Each listing was checked against the business's own website on 19 October 2026:

• Lemon Drainage Services: own website
• Arun Pumps: own website
• Peachy Services: own website
• GOV.UK: general binding rules for small sewage discharges

See also the national service page and all mapped areas.