Sewage Pipes Moved For Extension - Water Board Playing Up...

[Spuggy]

Hi All,

Currently building two storey extension, and been lurking these forums for some time for answers to many problems. However, think a major one has cropped up that I need specific advice on!

Because of the size of the extension, the sewage pipe running through the back garden (which serves one other property) has had to be moved about 3m back. We have had a competent groundworker replace the the manhole where the pipe enters our garden, he's rerouted the pipe back away from the extension and put in another manhole to change direction. Due to the extra length of the pipe, we lost almost all the fall of the pipe over it's run, so we dropped the pipe in deep to a sump pump before the pipe disappears to the house nextdoor (who is also building extension).

Building inspector from the council came round twice to inspect work; once as it progressed and once when it had finished. He signed it all off and our extension has since been flying along.

However, today we got a call from water company (suspect tip off from next door!) saying they're not happy and want to inspect for themselves. I'm panicing coz next door has had to stop his extension and been hit with 9 grand bill coz water company wasn't happy - only difference is we went with proper builders and have had work checked as we went; next door is using 'mate-of-a-mate-of-a-mate' who, by looking at his work, ain't much cop!

What can water authourity do to us if work is signed off?

Cheers for any help or advice.

 

[^woody^]

Building control can't "sign off" work which is not in their authority to sign off.

If this is a public sewer then the water authority would have been involved (normally notified directly by building control) and the work can not be started until permission from the water authority is given

If this is a private sewer then the water authority does not get involved and building control manage the inspections

So you need to clarify what class of sewer this is. As the water authority does not seem to have been involved, then you may not have anything to worry about

 

[Spuggy]

Building control has managed everything up until now, this is the first time the water company has been involved since we started (except for when we found a 'mystery' water main!). Their involvement is only due to the carry-on with next doors extension (think they were advised by the council not to build in a specific area, but ignored the advice). Water company were told and stopped all work until their own bods have sorted it out.

We paid council a lot of money to cover all building inspections, etc, and we've had them round at every stage for piece of mind and to cover ourselves.

From what I can make out, the sewer is only public if the water company specifically adopted it, as our one is/was definately post 1937. It starts nextdoor, then to us, then on to nextdoor where neighbour is also building, then on to two more properties to join main sewer.

If water company claim the pipe as public, and building control hasn't notified them of work, I guess we're dropped right in it!

 

[^woody^]

If the water authority adopt it now, then what has gone on before will not be held against you.

From the information it seems that the sewer is private and the water authority have no remit in respect of your building work

If the work has been allowed to proceed by building control due to some negligence or mistake, then they will be at fault.

In any case your house insurance will normally cover this if need be

But its all speculation at this stage, as you don't have all the facts

 

[Spuggy]

Cheers Woody, you've been informative and helpful (and helped me 'de-panic' the Mrs for the time being!).

The bloke from water company is coming round tomorrow at half four, so I'll post the developments or result on here when he's gone.

Thanks for your help - much appreciated.

 

[mikric]

As a matter of course your building control would or should have done a sewer check on your property when they processed your application, I assume you made a full plans application or was it done on a building notice ?

 

[^woody^]

The council will still check for public sewers with a building notice - and if there is a public sewer then a building notice can not be used, it must be a full plan application

 

[mikric]

Yes woody. Just wanted to know if anything was mentioned by BC when application was submitted .

 

[Spuggy]

Yep, it was a full planning application - all drawn up and submitted by ourselves and architect last July. It was passed with no problems in the September, and we started the ground work in June this year.

 

[Spuggy]

Well the bloke from the water company turned up this afternoon, and he reckons it's not looking good.

Firstly, he said he thinks the sewage pipework that we changed was public, not private. Secondly, he said that the Building Control officer may not have been aware of our intention to move the pipe, explaining the lack of intervention when they came to inspect. Finally, he reckons that it would be difficult to get water company to adopt the new work, as it wasn't completed to their own standard. He left saying he'd seek advice from his boss as to a solution.

After he'd gone, the wife had a brainwave and went through the deeds for the house. The house was formerly owned by Duchy of Cornwall and by deciphering the elaborate language (gibberish to me!) in the deeds, it now looks possible that the water people have no claim to anything as the whole plot and everything in it was Duchy property until we bought it 8 years ago. I'm gonna investigate more tomorrow.

Also, we dragged out the plans submitted for the planning application, and they clearly state and show in the drawings our intention to move the old sewage pipe.

Finally, the work was completed to a higher standard than the rubbish we dug up and replaced!

Will wait and see what his boss says now.

 

[^woody^]

Firstly, he said he thinks the sewage pipework that we changed was public, not private. Secondly, he said that the Building Control officer may not have been aware of our intention to move the pipe, explaining the lack of intervention when they came to inspect.

The problem is that the water authorities don't know whether many pipes are theirs or not, or even their location, and they are relying on situations like this to update their records.

Also, it would not be unreasonable to assume that a guy coming to investigate this, having been given prior notice, would be able to give more definite information, and even make a decision without having to revert back to "his boss"

Anyway, whilst strictly speaking it is the responsibility of the householder to do the necessary checks and make the necessary applications for building close to or over sewers, or altering them, it does seem that in this case there has been reliance on the BCO's advice and things have gone awry - so it may be that a compromise between building control and the water authority is in order.

Basically if the new drains have been done satisfactory and checked by the BCO, then there should be no reason why they can't be re-adopted or "de-adopted" by the water authority as necessary

 

[Shytalkz]

Are you at the head of the run? If so, it would be private until the point where it joins with the next one down the run - if the Duchy bit doesn't throw another slant on it and render that comment redundant.

 

[Spuggy]

Unfortunately, we're second from the start of the run. There's a couple more properties after us before the main sewer. Fingers crossed that the Duchy thing pays off!

Like Woody says above, the water companies don't know who's is who's a lot of the time. while digging the foundations we found an old water main running parralel to the sewage pipe - water company had no idea it was there or who's it was! It had very low pressure in it, so water company came round to cap it as far back as they could trace it and wait a few days to see if anyone complained. Nobody did, so we had permission to chop it.