Blockage - is it public sewer or highway drainage ?

Somerset

If I explain the problem and what I#ve found out first ?

There's a pipe running down the side of our house ( house split into four flats ). The pipe appears to carry bathwater - no smelly stuff. The pipe runs directly to ground level, there's a grill on it that you can lift and look ( maybe 12 inches square ) and then goes underground to wherever. This is overflowing ie a blockage so the water can't escape freely. We've lifted a manhole cover on our land closer to road - this is fairly high also. Outside the house on the main road is a manhole cover/grill - I assume this is a storm drain? which is full except for the top 18 inches. We haven't had heavy rain for a while so this shouldn't be full.

IF the blockage is external to our property - where would bathwater be sent to ?? I looked up our Council website and who I ring depends on which is at fault. The public sewer belongs to the water company, but highways hence the Council deal with the road drainage.

What's confusing me is, if I had to guess where bathwater went, I'd say the public sewer, even though it isn't sewerage. I can't see how our bathwater could be a part of the highways system since the Council website says this deals with excess rainwater, but it's a weird coincidence that this appears to be blocked as well.

I'm aware it's down to us if it's on our land but it looks like ot's not. Just not sure whether to talk to the water company or the Council ??

Doozergirl

Talk to both if you're not sure. Someone will tell you who is responsible for the storm drains.

The storm drain will need dealing with anyway so if it is that and yours clears as a result, you'll have saved money. If the storm drain is clear and yours isn't then you know it's your issue.

Somerset

Doozergirl wrote: »

The storm drain will need dealing with anyway so if it is that and yours clears as a result, you'll have saved money. If the storm drain is clear and yours isn't then you know it's your issue.

Thanks. It's just that if the storm drain only deals with surface rain-water I can't see how our problem relates to it - but on the other hand I'm deeply suspicious since it's obviously blocked. Just trying to get my head around what goes where in the grand scheme of water waste.

Doozergirl

I shouldn't think your drain leads to that but you'll be amazed what some developers do... pipes get connected to the nearest available outlet all the time :eek:

I am fairly sure it's your council that deal with the rainwater drains in the street so just ask them to come and clear it - it does need doing occasionally and after the recent rains you can highlight it as a flood risk

flang

How old is your house?
Years ago all drains used to go into one pipe.
The problem arises when it floods and all sewage seeps out everywhere!
Now days rainwater drains and sewage drains are separate.
Rainwater drains are usually maintained by the council and are never connected to houses.
Its sounds although the pipe feeding your property could be your responsibility, but I suggest you contact your water company as they often clean out pipes for free.
Regarding the highway drain, they are designed so that any muck sits at the bottom of the drain and not in the pipe, when the water level rises the water drains away down the pipe, when the water level is not high enough to drain down the pipe it sits at the bottom of the drain (in your case)

Somerset

flang wrote: »

How old is your house?
House is 1850ish but conversion to flats 1995 and a bit of a cowboy job.
Years ago all drains used to go into one pipe.
The problem arises when it floods and all sewage seeps out everywhere!
There's no sewage seeping out as far as I can tell - just bathwater type water.
Now days rainwater drains and sewage drains are separate.
Rainwater drains are usually maintained by the council and are never connected to houses.
Its sounds although the pipe feeding your property could be your responsibility, but I suggest you contact your water company as they often clean out pipes for free.
Regarding the highway drain, they are designed so that any muck sits at the bottom of the drain and not in the pipe, when the water level rises the water drains away down the pipe, when the water level is not high enough to drain down the pipe it sits at the bottom of the drain (in your case)
But it's about 18 inches from the top in this case ( I measured !! ) and although there was heavy rain two weeks back, it's been normalish since then - so it shouldn't be as high as it is ??

I've tried the Council but Mon - Fri so I'll call Monday. Just about to ring the water company now.