Kitchen Sink and Washing Machine Waste into outside drain pipe?

[H0M3R_j4y]

I am currently in the process of planning my kitchen refit, and I'm looking to see if I can change my current drainage setup.

The kitchen sink and washing machine waste pipes currently go through the wall and into what was an outside trapped drain (how the house was built), although its not an outside drain anymore as we had a conservatory built, so the waste pipes are in the conservatory but boxed in.

I would like to move the washing machine into the garage which is adjacent to the kitchen, the kitchen will be open plan so I don't want any washing machine noise going through the rest of the house. There is an surface water drain pipe next to the garage which is in the perfect location for the washing machine waste to be diverted into, while I'm at it I would also like to re-route the kitchen waste into the same drain pipe, so that I can then get rid of the pipes that are boxed in in the conservatory altogether.

I've checked my HIPs pack and found out the drainage survey which was carried out when I purchased the house, and it says that the surface water drain connects to the public sewer. So I am right in thinking that this means my house is a combined drainage system and therefore I am ok to do this? I don't want to end up with a fine from the environment agency or something to bite me when I come to sell the house in the future.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Ian H]

I wouldn’t trust the report. If you have a manhole flush the toilet then dump a bucket of water into the surface water drain and see if they both go the same way.

 

[Nige F]

I've checked my HIPs pack and found out the drainage survey which was carried out when I purchased the house, and it says that the surface water drain connects to the public sewer.
Thanks in advance.

That could mean a surface water sewer. Not necessarily a combined one.

 

[H0M3R_j4y]

I wouldn’t trust the report. If you have a manhole flush the toilet then dump a bucket of water into the surface water drain and see if they both go the same way.

My man hole is under my conservatory, it is accessible though if I pull up the lino flooring. I did check what went through it before it was built though and it was the toilet waste only, definitely not the kitchen waste, although I'm not sure if the surface water went through there as well, I don't think it will as the direction of the pipe run didn't look in line with the drainpipe.

My next door neighbor has 2 manholes in his garden, where mine and his property join up I'm presuming, so I will ask him if I can have a look down there's.

That could mean a surface water sewer. Not necessarily a combined one.

That's handy to know, it's a shame the report isn't a bit more detailed. I thought 'sewer' always meant waste water for treatment. My water bill with south staffs also has a surface water charge.

I will check with my neighbor to confirm, hopefully!

Thanks

 

[Ian H]

Another way you could check would be to use a sponge to clear all the water from the gully, get your ear close to it and get someone to flush the toilet. You would hear it very clearly if they are combined.

 

[noseall]

get your ear close to it and get someone to flush the toilet. You would hear it very clearly

...and you should be able to hear the sea.

 

[Nige F]

And if you hear a scrabbling noise it's a rat coming for you

 

[John D v2.0]

We have sewers for both surface water and foul, but the surface eventually goes into the Thames untreated. Apparently there was a river over in North London that was a filthy health hazard, Thames water went round testing everyone's drainage and serving notice on many people for miss connections. I assume it was cheaper for the water co to search for all the miss connections than to pay the fines for environmental damage.
So be careful where you send it, the fish will thank you!

 

[H0M3R_j4y]

Thanks everyone. I won't trust the HIP report just yet and will dig a little deeper. Might have to pay a fee to south staffs water to confirm it, but I'd rather that than risk polluting and getting a fine somewhere down the line.

 

[John D v2.0]

Thanks everyone. I won't trust the HIP report just yet and will dig a little deeper. Might have to pay a fee to south staffs water to confirm it, but I'd rather that than risk polluting and getting a fine somewhere down the line.

Good idea, although just to be clear i think Thames water were the ones getting fined by the environment agency, the homeowners were served legal notice to correct the drainage within a couple of weeks.
Search online for Thames water misconnections for the full story.i think for some households it was extremely difficult to correct due to the falls required.

 

[H0M3R_j4y]

Update:

I've checked with my next door neighbour, who has 2 man hole covers in his garden. We were under the impression that mine joined up with his in one of them, but its doesn't, it may join up with his neighbour on the other side though.

However, turns out his toilet waste and his kitchen waste do join up to the one sewer. The first man hole showed just the toilet waste going through, and the second man hole would show both the toilet waste and the kitchen waste going through it, so they obviously join up. So good news so far, as I can be 95% confident that mine will work the same way, as they are identical houses so I presume the drainage will be identical too.

I do have another manhole I can look at, which is on the other side of my garden fence, which I only discovered when I put a new fence up a few years ago. I'm presuming this is my 'second' manhole as although it is on the other side of the fence, it is still within my boundary (I live on the end corner plot). So I will have a look in that to see if I can 100% confirm it. It's covered in foliage and the likes so might not be easy, but it should be do-able.

 

[Leofric]

However, turns out his toilet waste and his kitchen waste do join up to the one sewer.

Wc's and kitchen sink wastes are supposed to go into the same foul drain

 

[H0M3R_j4y]

Wc's and kitchen sink wastes are supposed to go into the same foul drain

I got confused there, I was supposed to say the surface water goes to the same one. My bad lol.