Abbeydale Geoscience Logo The Abbeydale Geoscience logo. We provide geotechnical and geo-engineering services across Yorkshire and the whole United Kingdom.
Water icon for soakaway assessment and sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) services from Abbeydale Geoscience. We carry out Infiltration Tests (Soakage Test or Drainage Test) and Soakaway Feasibility Studies in accordance with BRE 365.

Soakaway Assessment

A Soakaway Assessment is a crucial investigation for anyone planning a construction project that requires efficient surface water drainage. Homeowners, developers, and businesses looking to install Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS), such as soakaways, need to ensure that their ground conditions are suitable for infiltration. This is where an Infiltration Test, also known as a Soakage Test or Drainage Test, comes in. By conducting a Soakaway Feasibility Study, our experts assess whether the soil can effectively absorb rainwater, preventing surface water flooding and reducing pressure on main drainage systems. The assessment follows industry-standard procedures, including percolation testing in accordance with BRE 365, to determine the viability of a soakaway system. Whether you are seeking planning approval, managing runoff from a new driveway, or ensuring compliance with local drainage regulations, our specialist consultancy can provide accurate, reliable results to help you make informed decisions about your drainage solutions.

Sending surface water where it wants to go
Service Type:
Preliminary
Service Level:
secondary
Professional and cost effective Soakaway Investigation serving Leeds, Manchester, Wakefield, Scarborough, Bradford, Doncaster and the entire Yorkshire area.

Soakaway Assessment: Drain it down (where you can!)

As part of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) assessments, the first stage on the drainage hierarchy is to mimic how water could naturally drain away; into the ground. This is commonly done using ‘soakaways’ where water is collected and then allow to drain into the underlying strata beneath a site.

At feasibility stage there are lots of things that can determine if soakaways are likely to be suitable or not. Because soakaways need to be at least 5m away from any existing or proposed structures, one of the biggest consideration can be if there’s enough space for soakaways to be viable.

For sites that are either on a hillside or next to one, soakaways are not often recommend because any water introduced into the ground might seep out lower down the hillside and cause problems for other land owners or other areas. When water is put into the ground it’s important to think about where it’s going and where it might end up!

Where the geological conditions are favourable and soakaways might be feasible, the next step is to carry out a Soakaway Investigation, either as part of a wider Ground Investigation, or as a standalone investigation, to assess the permeability of the ground at the location(s) of proposed soakaways. This is important because the permeability of the ground can vary across a site, so it’s important to do any soakaway tests where they are likely or proposed to be installed.

Whether you need a soakaway assessment as a standalone assessment for drainage design purposes, or we include it as a standard item with our Phase 1 Desk Study reports, we’re here to help you from the very outset when weighing up the potential for using soakaways as a drainage option.

At Abbeydale Geoscience we readily carry out geological assessments and soakaway assessments to look at whether soakaways might be a suitable drainage option or not.

Perhaps the main consideration is what the anticipated geological conditions are, including groundwater levels. The permeability of the underlying strata determines how fast (or not!) water passes through the strata. This is often dependent on fracturing within a rock mass or layering within superficial soils, and if the strata is already saturated this can reduce the storage potential meaning, even if the permeability of the strata is good.

We are proud to offer our Soakaway Assessment across Yorkshire and the wider United Kingdom

Do you need top quality, cost-effective, geotechnical and geo-engineering services, near you? Do you like working with a small but professional local business? Do you want to be treated like a human being and not an invoice number? Do you want to work with people who genuinely care about your site or project?

We thought so and we look forward to working with you!

Abbeydale Geoscience operate across the entire Yorkshire area and the wider United Kingdom. Below is a list of some of the many areas locally that we provide and have provided our Soakaway Assessment services. We are proud of our heritage as a small West Yorkshire based business.

West Yorkshire

  • Wakefield
  • Leeds
  • Bradford
  • Huddersfield
  • Halifax
  • Dewsbury
  • Pudsey
  • Pontefract
  • Castleford
  • Ossett
  • Morley
  • Brighouse

North Yorkshire

  • York
  • Ripon
  • Harrogate
  • Scarborough
  • Northallerton
  • Whitby
  • Selby
  • Skipton
  • Knaresborough
  • Filey
  • Pickereing
  • Tadcaster

South Yorkshire

  • Sheffield
  • Rotherham
  • Doncaster
  • Barnsley
  • Wath upon Dearne
  • Bentley
  • Wombwell
  • Chapeltown
  • Maltby
  • Mexborough
  • Thorne
  • Stainforth

East Yorkshire

  • Kingston-upon-Hull
  • Bridlington
  • Beverley
  • Goole
  • Cottingham
  • Hessle
  • Driffield
  • Anlaby
  • Hornsea
  • Pocklington
  • Willerby
  • Withernsea

Need Some Help With Soakaway Assessment?

There are so many reasons why Abbeydale Geoscience are the perfect choice for Soakaway Assessment... but we'll just list a few:

  • Honest, friendly and down to earth service from a team who care about you and your project. We're sure you'll find this refreshing in this day and age!
  • Soakaway Assessment carried out to a professional level by an experienced and robust geoscience team. We do it all, without any cutting of corners.
  • We provide what you need and nothing more. We don't do upselling or pushing services you don't require. We would much rather have a valued client's loyalty and repeat business.

A first class Soakaway Assessment service

Get in touch now. Are you looking for the highest quality geotechnical and geo-environmental services near you? Just use the contact details below. Ask us about our professional Soakaway Assessment service.

Professional and cost effective Soakaway Investigation serving Leeds, Manchester, Wakefield, Scarborough, Bradford, Doncaster and the entire Yorkshire area.

Working Hours

Monday to Friday: 9am – 5pm

Office Address

4 Neville Street, Wakefield, WF1 5EF

Call Us On

(+44) 01924 376622
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