Rain water barrell without hookup to services.

[DaveFoucault]

Hi all plumbers

First thing is that I bave been lurking around on this forum for a few years as it is informative and entertaining. Anyway I am now going public as I have a plumbing question and the plumber I work with has gone to Aussie for a few months to stay with his parents.

Anyway, I just put on a new slate roof for a customer. They have asked me to put up new rainwater guttering for them too. However their new extension means I will have to dig a new route to the inspection chamber as the old trap the downpipe ran to is now under a floor. I quoted them for this but instead they tell me they want the rainwater run only into a collection barrell which they would then use to water plants, wash cars etc. My question, and I hope it isnt a silly one, is "is this legal". They don't want me to dig up the section to lay any pipes it would be just the barrel. I am worried that if they forgot about, or didnt bother to use, this water and it began to overflow and cause flooding/subsidence etc it may all come back onto me at a later date. They say that this barrel only setup is approved by their BCO but I don't know if I should believe this. Any advice is appreciated.
Dave
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[DaveFoucault]

HI all,
Me again. I have reposted this question in the roofing and guttering section where I should have put it in the first place.
Thanks.

 

[HERTS P&D]

You could have an overflow pipe fitted near the top running into a drain.

http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/...pid7740.html?gclid=CLCd19u6o7QCFYXLtAodrVUAIQ

Andy

 

[DaveFoucault]

Thanks mate. I realise you can get overflow systems for these rain barrels but the problem is there is now, after the customers building works, no drains on that side of the building. The customer clains that their BCO has told them that all they need is the rain barrel; no soakaway either. That means that all rainwater from the 3m by 3m single pitch roof on their kitchen extension (the slope runs away from the side of the building where existing drainage services are) will be collected in a big plastic container only and this is what I'm worried might cause later problems. I am at this job later in the week to hang a few doors and it is only a little bit of work to put some guttering up i just don't want to do anything that might bounce back onto me later.
Dave

 

[mattylad]

Given today's rain it will fill quite quickly, so what do they suggest doing with the overflow that will happen?

 

[Bosswhite]

They are obviously going to have to run the overflow somewhere,
maybe join it to a length of hosepipe and run to nearest drain/soakaway.

 

[flameport]

The customer clains that their BCO has told them that all they need is the rain barrel; no soakaway either.

All lies.

In heavy rain, the barrel will fill up in five minutes, then the rest of the water will pour all over the place causing various damp problems inside, damage to foundations and so on.