Which professional do I need?

npsmama

Evening all,

A few months ago I asked you guys how I would go about breaking up the concrete round my house...well, we're finally getting round to it but we think the sewerage system may be somewhere under the concrete.
Who/what professional do I need to contact to find out what's underneath?

I know it's a very stupid question and no, I'm not expecting the person to have x-ray vision but is there a way they can detect what is where?

thanks for your patience...don't worry, I won't give up the day job to become a builder...:p

markie1980

You can normally work out what goes where with a bit of common sense.

You should be able to see what drains come out of the house.
What rain water gullys you have.
What man hole covers are in the garden/drive/pavement/road etc
Are you on mains drainage?
Normally drains go in a straight line under ground.
You can also see how deep the drains are by looking in a manhole cover - you'll prbably find they are deep enough to not worry when you are breaking the concrete.

Ebe_Scrooge

Good advice from Markie1980. The other option is, if you're able to get hold of the original plans for the house then all the drains etc. should be clearly detailed. Not always easy to get hold of the plans, depending on how old it is, but it's probably worth a quick call to your local council offices to see if they can point you in the right direction. Nothing lost by making a 10 minute call, and if they come up trumps and you can actually view the plans then it makes life a lot easier.

andrew-b

Your title deeds or land registry plan may show the rough route of the drains.
The council isn't the right place to go ...the right place is whoever you pay sewerage charges to (usually the same as your water supplier but not always).
Here's a link to Southern Water's info: http://www.southernwater.co.uk/DomesticCustomers/movingHouse/drainageAndWaterSearch/Default.asp - i expect most water companies have similar info.

Andy

Benji

Our local water authority sent some guys out to identify this for me. They were very quick - and it didn't cost either.