Severn Trent Drainage Rectification - Help !
Discussion
I've got a load on and really don't need this...
Just had Severn Trent Water around...
I have a late 1940's house and despite what the plans say (they are clearly incorrect as there is no second drain where the plans say it is) mine is on a combined drainage system and always has been.
My drains are adopted too (which doesn't happen these days I know).
Now they have sent some guys around and it seems my combined drain is in fact the storm NOT foul sewer.
Apparently this means I'm getting a rectification order to make ME connect to a foul (of currently unknown location) sewer.
Obviously this is not a minor untaking as they want the sewers seperating and redirecting.
My question is as these drains have been connected like this for nearly 60 years and are adopted how the hell is this my problem, surely Severn Trent should be paying ?
Any advice / websites to try ?
Thanks
Just had Severn Trent Water around...
I have a late 1940's house and despite what the plans say (they are clearly incorrect as there is no second drain where the plans say it is) mine is on a combined drainage system and always has been.
My drains are adopted too (which doesn't happen these days I know).
Now they have sent some guys around and it seems my combined drain is in fact the storm NOT foul sewer.
Apparently this means I'm getting a rectification order to make ME connect to a foul (of currently unknown location) sewer.
Obviously this is not a minor untaking as they want the sewers seperating and redirecting.
My question is as these drains have been connected like this for nearly 60 years and are adopted how the hell is this my problem, surely Severn Trent should be paying ?
Any advice / websites to try ?
Thanks
I think some empty into 'my' drain.
Most of the neighbours are at work, I'm working from home so stupidly I let them in.
Will obviously try to argue its their problem as they are adopted and have been for 60ish years but it would be nice if anyone has experienced this before as some of my drains go under the house and straight into the 'adopted' storm sewer (which run under my garage)
I'd have to lift laminate floors and kango out the concrete beneath etc its a £10k job I'd guess.
Most of the neighbours are at work, I'm working from home so stupidly I let them in.
Will obviously try to argue its their problem as they are adopted and have been for 60ish years but it would be nice if anyone has experienced this before as some of my drains go under the house and straight into the 'adopted' storm sewer (which run under my garage)
I'd have to lift laminate floors and kango out the concrete beneath etc its a £10k job I'd guess.
redgriff500 said:
Because my toilet pipe is in the internal wall and enters their storm sewer under my utility room and then carries on under my garage.
I can't join it out the front because by then it has loads of neighbours storm water in it (which came in out the back before my foul joins it)
always an alternative . Dont fret I can't join it out the front because by then it has loads of neighbours storm water in it (which came in out the back before my foul joins it)
Is it a terraced property ?
Edited by Busamav on Wednesday 6th August 17:29
Never been involved with a problem like yours, but;
You don't need to dig the floor up (depending on the style of your house)
You can put new runs in down the ride of your house.
New external soil stacks etc etc.
Worst case would be install all your toilets and showers / sinks etc on a saniflo.
Good luck.
You don't need to dig the floor up (depending on the style of your house)
You can put new runs in down the ride of your house.
New external soil stacks etc etc.
Worst case would be install all your toilets and showers / sinks etc on a saniflo.
Good luck.
Busamav said:
I would visit the council offices and see the borough engineer to investigate what drainage there is in the vicinity , normally very helpful guys with lots of knowledge .
...
Strongly agree with that. They will also have access to Severn Trent's Sewer Map (and quite possibly an older paper map) which will throw more light on the situation. ...
Find the local authority's "Customer Services" (possibly a "one stop shop"
) phone number in the first instant, mention that you'd like to see the Sewer Map and speak to someone in the Borough Engineer's 'drainage' section .One thing confuses me though - you say the drains are 'adopted'. I read that as the drains being in Severn Trent's ownership. So why are they mentioning you doing the work?
I'd be interested to see how this pans out.
I have the maps and they are wrong.
The drains are adopted but I guess technically this isn't a problem with their drains but my connections into them.
I'm 99% sure at least one of my neighbours houses puts sewage into the same storm sewer too as I went down (5') to clean them and had the pleasure of seeing their lunch flow past me.
I was hoping a surveyor / solicitor might reply citing a statute meaning its not my problem.
The drains are adopted but I guess technically this isn't a problem with their drains but my connections into them.
I'm 99% sure at least one of my neighbours houses puts sewage into the same storm sewer too as I went down (5') to clean them and had the pleasure of seeing their lunch flow past me.
I was hoping a surveyor / solicitor might reply citing a statute meaning its not my problem.
redgriff500 said:
I have the maps and they are wrong.
The drains are adopted but I guess technically this isn't a problem with their drains but my connections into them.
I'm 99% sure at least one of my neighbours houses puts sewage into the same storm sewer too as I went down (5') to clean them and had the pleasure of seeing their lunch flow past me.
I was hoping a surveyor / solicitor might reply citing a statute meaning its not my problem.
Do you have the drawings from the Borough engineers Department ?The drains are adopted but I guess technically this isn't a problem with their drains but my connections into them.
I'm 99% sure at least one of my neighbours houses puts sewage into the same storm sewer too as I went down (5') to clean them and had the pleasure of seeing their lunch flow past me.
I was hoping a surveyor / solicitor might reply citing a statute meaning its not my problem.
You really cant progress anything untill you have been there .
Been in there previously because the (S Trent) plans were wrong.
But even if there is a foul nearby that doesn't help me much, there's still considerable work due to the builder (60 years ago) connecting to the only apparent drain as the plans were wrong...
Still can't see how thats my fault.
But even if there is a foul nearby that doesn't help me much, there's still considerable work due to the builder (60 years ago) connecting to the only apparent drain as the plans were wrong...
Still can't see how thats my fault.
If the alleged storm sewer is such, it will eventually drain into a watercourse. Have you see the other maps showing where this 'storm sewer' runs to? This 'bigger picture' may be helpful in sorting out what type of drain this is.
Or is this 'storm drain' even on the map you have in your possession? And how do the ST and LA maps vary from each other?
I'm trying to get a handle on what's going on .
Incidentally, parts of the UK have very poor sewer records post-1945, such that some local authorities and water companies don't know where the majority of their post-war sewers are! Don't be surprised by differences between sewer maps and what's in the ground .
Or is this 'storm drain' even on the map you have in your possession? And how do the ST and LA maps vary from each other?
I'm trying to get a handle on what's going on
.Incidentally, parts of the UK have very poor sewer records post-1945, such that some local authorities and water companies don't know where the majority of their post-war sewers are! Don't be surprised by differences between sewer maps and what's in the ground
.
Right, cheers . It might be a fractured section of pipe or a dislocated joint, and *not* a misconnection (or whatever) dating from when it was built - if your drain has failed it is their problem as the drain is adopted.
I'm presuming they have carried out camera surveys to your drain, and possibly the culvert?
I'd want to see *proof of 'your' dye appearing in the culvert, plus the video of your drain to show if it is intact or not as well as any video of the inside of the culvert (even as far as seeing the camera surveys carried out and watching the 'live' results as well as getting a copy of the video), before they go any further with this charade.
I appreciate you say you don't have time for this, but if you can possibly avoid a good rogering off ST for this alleged problem of yours...
. It might be a fractured section of pipe or a dislocated joint, and *not* a misconnection (or whatever) dating from when it was built - if your drain has failed it is their problem as the drain is adopted. I'm presuming they have carried out camera surveys to your drain, and possibly the culvert?
I'd want to see *proof of 'your' dye appearing in the culvert, plus the video of your drain to show if it is intact or not as well as any video of the inside of the culvert (even as far as seeing the camera surveys carried out and watching the 'live' results as well as getting a copy of the video), before they go any further with this charade.
I appreciate you say you don't have time for this, but if you can possibly avoid a good rogering off ST for this alleged problem of yours...
- Proof being such as someone (not from ST) flushing your toilet and you seeing the dye appear where they say.
A few further thoughts (it's been a lean afternoon at work, and there's a firewall).
I strongly doubt that the house builders connected your drains to a storm drain - there were building inspectors checking stuff like this out in the 1940s (and before) to comply with building regs (there would have to be foul or combined drainage on site - end of!).
I also strongly doubt that this alleged storm sewer has been discharging sewage into this culvert for 60 years - people would have noticed many years ago, and the problem would have been flagged up then.
The map refers to 'your' drain and a foul drain, and the latter doesn't exist? I bet the builders built the one drain as a combined drain, and this wasn't picked up on the sewer map. The maps are not as reliable as we'd hope - but I would suggest going to see the local authority sewer map again, and this time tracing 'your' drain to see where it leads to (my money says a sewage works or another combined sewer, not a watercourse).
I'd repeat my suggestion that it's a recent break (of some sort) in a combined sewer, and ST have misdiagnosed what's going on. From how they seemed when they visited (by your account) the staff involved in this investigation seem pretty clueless.
It's also up to them to investigate what's going on with their drains (see my previous post) and show you evidence before they start denying responsibility and trying to pin it on you and your neighbours?
I strongly doubt that the house builders connected your drains to a storm drain - there were building inspectors checking stuff like this out in the 1940s (and before) to comply with building regs (there would have to be foul or combined drainage on site - end of!).
I also strongly doubt that this alleged storm sewer has been discharging sewage into this culvert for 60 years - people would have noticed many years ago, and the problem would have been flagged up then.
The map refers to 'your' drain and a foul drain, and the latter doesn't exist? I bet the builders built the one drain as a combined drain, and this wasn't picked up on the sewer map. The maps are not as reliable as we'd hope - but I would suggest going to see the local authority sewer map again, and this time tracing 'your' drain to see where it leads to (my money says a sewage works or another combined sewer, not a watercourse).
I'd repeat my suggestion that it's a recent break (of some sort) in a combined sewer, and ST have misdiagnosed what's going on. From how they seemed when they visited (by your account) the staff involved in this investigation seem pretty clueless.
It's also up to them to investigate what's going on with their drains (see my previous post) and show you evidence before they start denying responsibility and trying to pin it on you and your neighbours?
Gassing Station | The Pie & Piston Archive | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff