Lahore: The Punjab Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made septic tanks compulsory for all houses and plazas in housing societies across the province to safeguard underground water from sewage contamination, a leading cause of waterborne diseases.
EPA Director General Imran Hameed Sheikh said societies will now be required to adopt a dual water management system, with every house installing a three-chamber septic tank and societies setting up wastewater treatment plants. Research shows these tanks can remove up to 70% of solid waste and reduce water pollution by 40%.
The EPA has issued specific size requirements for septic tanks: 6x4x4 feet for 5-marla houses, 9x6x4 feet for 10-marla houses, 10x6x5 feet for one-kanal plazas, 15x6x5 feet for three- to four-kanal plazas, and 16x6x5 feet for larger units.
DG Sheikh stressed that no new housing project will receive environmental approval without fulfilling these conditions. Notifications have been sent to LDA, FDA, GDA, RDA, and deputy commissioners, who have been directed to enforce the regulation at the land subdivision stage.
Lahore EPA Deputy Director Ali Ijaz explained that septic tanks prevent untreated sewage from contaminating groundwater and spreading diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and hepatitis. He called the move a vital step to protect both public health and the environment.
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