Private Sewer Needs Repairing.

[BigRobCanUFixIt]

Hello again all.

I have posted in the past about a suspected break in a sewer pipe in my garden, where at regular intervals the pipe became blocked and started backing up the system.

a photo below from my previous post.

Since then I have replaced the pipe with the suspected break and to my disapointment found the pipe I removed to be perfectly in tact.

So now after more investigation I have found the actual cause of the problem.

Between the public sewer manhole 3 and 2 when the system is not being used the water runs into my property not away to the street unless the pipe is half full so it appears that manhole 2 and 3 are lower than the the public sewer.

So as you can imagine could be a fairly hefty job.

I am also aware that all the houses connected to the private sewer are responsible. So are drainage companies used to dealing with this sort of situation where there will be multiple people paying for the same job? Or would they expect me to facilitate all the admin, ie writing to all the people on the sewer and all the hassle that to be honest I dont want to do?

Help would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Rob

 

[big-all]

is your house pre 1935!!!

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

As said, if the properties are pre 1936 then Public Health Act applies, and any shared drain is the water authorities responsibility.

I doubt the drainage co would be interested in chasing round the neighbours, only takes one to say "doesnt affect me, i'm not paying....." If you cant get written agreement from all parties concerned about sharing the cost of the work, i'd speak to Environmental Health at the council. They have powers to order the work to be done. They may even organise and oversee the job, pay the bill, then charge all concerned parties to recoup their outlay.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Did you have a CCTV drain survey before you replaced a good section of pipework?

Has it been jetted and descaled?

Andy

 

[DeltaT]

is your house pre 1935!!!

Is it not post 1935 big-all??

 

[big-all]

is your house pre 1935!!!

Is it not post 1935 big-all??

the 1936 water and sewage act make the drains the responcibilty off the home owners
before the act the responcibility of SHARED drains was the water company/council s

 

[DeltaT]

It's not the same here in Scotland 'big-all'. Two houses into one pipe is a sewer, adopted by Scottish Water or whoever.

Sorry, I thought that was a UK thing.

 

[powell30]

Oct 1936 i believe.

 

[BigRobCanUFixIt]

Thanks for the comments so far,

The house was built 1968. So no joy on that front.


I had the waterboard out as the sewage was going into a stream that joins the blackwater river. They looked in their manhole on the street and say it is clear. although the section of pipe in our garden doesnt clear as it has to go uphill about 3 inches.

The Environmental health officer came out "a pin striped crusader" who agreed that it was a pain in the arse shuffled his shoes and rode off into the horizon.....

I have spoken to a drainage consultant at a company called Stillwell. The MD there was a top bloke, who as a favour has offered to help write a letter to all the residents connected to the sewer explaining what is happening and what may need to be done.

He also said that before they can be sure what needs doing that they need to survey the whole system and it may involve re laying more than just the section through our garden, and they may need to make some alterations at the sew main end. And said it could be a few grand or maybe in the 10's of thousands.

Hopefully the residents are going to sign off on this.......

The environmental health people didnt seem to think they could enforce anything. What other council departments could I get involved in sorting out a resolution...

I suppose I could fill the manhole upstream from me with concrete.... Then I would have no problems............ hehe

Thanks again.

Rob

 

[DeltaT]

Rob, why don't you check the 'invert' on each of the three manholes. That would then assure you where you are with the levels and what section is faulty, damaged or sinking. That alaong with a camera up the sewer, would be a much cheaper 'survey'.

 

[Tipper]

During 2011 the drainage companies take responsibility for the repair and maintenance of all 'laterals' serving more than one property. Sorry don't know when this takes effect.

This means that if you wait until next year the drainage company will have to fix your problem!

It means that in your diagram the drainage company will be responsible for all the red bits and you will only be responsible for your yellow bits. Likewise your neighbours.

This is all down to some recent changes forced on the drainage companies. It's also why I'm waiting until after 2011 to have my problems with my shared 'collapsing' pitch fibre piping surveyed/inspected.

http://www.parliament.uk/briefingpapers/commons/lib/research/briefings/snsc-01514.pdf

 

[BigRobCanUFixIt]

Yeah I emailed the bloke at Water Uk and got a reply from the Director of policy over there.

They said the same thing but they thought if at all it would be end of 2011 maybe even 2012..... (dooms day year i believe haha)

 

[Nige F]

Rob, why don't you check the 'invert' on each of the three manholes. That would then assure you where you are with the levels and what section is faulty, damaged or sinking. That alaong with a camera up the sewer, would be a much cheaper 'survey'.

You can do this with a Cowley Level ( if anyone still hires them out ) saving the camera till later .

 

[Nige F]

I doubt the drainage co would be interested in chasing round the neighbours, only takes one to say "doesnt affect me, i'm not paying....." .

I was one of those @ my last house - got away with it too , by bull..itting the drain co. would`ve paid if I had to - I know the Law , just didn`t like their attitude Also had a " ballpark quote" from a good local contractor to run my sewer independantly into the main road , instead of the round the houses existing route . Depending on the depth of the Main sewer in the road it would have been C. £ 6k for connection and 1 manhole inside my boundary - To " sky`s the limit" So you need to get the facts on that Main Sewre depth and actual costs - Good Luck , and hope youre neighbours aren`t like me

 

[Tipper]

If you're going to try to get your neighbours to cough up for repairs then get a copy of your house 'freehold title' from the Land Registry. £3 online iirc.

It will identify the drains and tell you who pays for the maintenance and repair of the shared drains.