Danger/ return account

There are many important factors to consider prior to making any kind of land or property purchase,and environmental pollution plays a big part. In the very worst case,environmental contamination can present hazards,to users and or residents of the site. This is one of the reasons environmental risk surveys are such an important part of due diligence for any land or property purchase.

Types of environmental contamination

There are many different types of environmental pollutants that can cause dangers to land users. In many cases these are associated with previous industrial use of land,although this is not always the case as natural pollutants do also exist.

There are many types of contaminants,these contaminants can include dust or gas pollutants which can be inhaled or contamination in soils which can be transmitted to foods grown on the land and any grazing animals. Such contamination could also impact anyone working on the land.

Indirect pollutants can also damage buildings or leach out of the soil due to effects of groundwater or any river,stream or pond in the vicinity. Some of these contaminants are corrosive or could even cause fires or explosions.

Examples of contaminants include:

– Lead or other heavy metals such as cadmium or arsenic
– Tar and oil
– Asbestos
– Radioactive materials
– Chemical substances and solvents
– Gas

You can discover more on the matter of contaminated land on the UK government website.

What isthe definition ofcontaminated land?

If you want more information on contaminated land or read technical guides on dealing with special sites on the website of the Environment Agency.

The legal definition of ‘contaminated land’ relates to land containing substances which can cause:

– Very significant damage to property,people or protected species
– Harm due to radioactivity
– Pollution to surface waters,such as lakes or rivers,or groundwater

Some of the reasons for land contamination are when it has been previously used as:

– Factories
– For mining
– Steel milling
– Refining
– Landfill sites

Contaminated land may also fall into a ‘special sites’ category. These sites could:

– Cause serious effects to any drinking water,or surface or groundwater
– Previously have been used for activities like oil refining or the manufacture of explosives
– Have previously been regulated under permits relating to integrated pollution controls or prevention
– Previously have been used for disposal of acid tars
– Have been occupied or owned by the MOD
– Previously been used in connection with the nuclear industry or be contaminated with radioactivity

What about brownfield sites?

It’s long been government policy to bring what’s termed brownfield land back into use in order to help preserve the greenfield sites and land within rural areas. This land regeneration often causes concerns,however. The majority of larger towns and cities contain areas and sites that are not in use and due to demand,development of these brownfield sites and derelict buildings is becoming increasingly common.

Very often minimal regulations were in place to check on the re-use of brownfield sites or any potential environmental hazards thus presented. Now however,things are very different,but it has to be said that the majority of brownfield site developments are perfectly safe for residential purposes. Selling homes in these neighbourhoods can present some conveyancing issues,though.

If you have any concerns about environmental contamination which could impact on your property purchase,give the experts at - a call to discuss your worries.

Siphon is the process by which a sewage pipe is used to suck out the accumulated debris within a sewer line. Some areas do not have the capability to purchase,install,and maintain Siphon Systems on their sewers. Hence,it is important to be able to repair sewer lines in order to keep from unnecessary disruptions. It is usually best to try and minimize disruptions as much as possible. Reconditioning a sewer line is often the best alternative for fixing problems that arise due to excessive clogging or clog building.

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Siphon can be used to clean a sewer line. Most of the time,since this is used in combination with other maintenance techniques such as aeration and deionization,the repairs required are much less than that required when only one of these techniques is used. This is due to the fact that the mechanical processes involved in the other methods are normally the cause of the sewer line clogging,which in turn causes increased clog building. The sump pump can be an excellent choice for reducing line maintenance costs. This is because it is far more cost-effective,especially when compared to purchasing,installing,and maintaining the other maintenance methods. You can even have the ability to divert any excess flow back into the line.

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Siphon line repair can be done using a sump pump,but it is important to note that this does not happen all the time. Usually the treatment or flushing of the sewage lines will clean the clogs. You can also use more advanced tools to cure the clogs. The main reason for sewer line repairs is to prevent water from accumulating and then eventually clogging the sewer line. Most of the time,the clogs are caused by excessive build up of organic matter in the system which is usually removed using a machine known as a sump dredge.

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