Soakaway question.

jfdi

Just been pondering, as we get deluged with rain yet again......

I live in a semi-detached house and at the front of the pair there's just one drainpipe serving the guttering for both houses - and therefore serving a vast expanse of roof.

Now this happens to come to ground on our side - & it goes off into a soakaway under our front lawn.

In this weather it fills up faster than it can drain, & therefore we have a cascade of water onto the front. It's not causing damp etc, but just 6 weeks after having a 'popped' double-glazed pane on our Bay replaced it's gone again - & I'm sure it's the volume & power of water that's caused it.

Sorting the soakaway out long-term is possible for the future, but short-term, if I was to 'stop' the guttering between the properties on the dividing line, would I be responsible to our neighbour for their new (caused by me!) problem?

Your thoughts?

bordercars

in some cases one of you gets the front the other gets the back...

what if he does same to rear.

can you not just run DP into a gully, or how about diverting it out of the front into the gutter.

ormus

soakaways are designed for the averages. when rainfall is above average (see cumbria recently) theres no way it can cope.
to build a better soakaway would cost a small fortune, a huge hole and tons of shingle.
theres no easy answer.
divert it direct to the local manhole/sewer? or maybe an underground holding tank and a pump?

keith969

I presume from what you describe that the downpipe goes into the ground and does not open up to a drain, and so is filling up until water eventually spills out from the gutter above?

In which case why not cut the pipe at ground level and put in a simple drain, such that the rainwater will go through the drain into the soakaway, but once the soakaway is full the water spills out at ground level over your lawn?

jfdi

Hmm - thanks all!

bordercars - we've each got our own at the back (I've just gone out to check!)

Ormus - that's my idea long-term, short term it won't work - lots of digging needed coz the garden slopes up a bit to the road!

keith969 - correct. Unfortunately there's no drain - just pipe straight into ground & funnelled down more pipe to the soakaway.

So lads - could they sue me???

Chippy_Minton_2

Have you spoken to them about it?
Last thing you want is a neighbour dispute.

mikey72

No idea, I'm fairly sure they could if it has been like that for a few years, but whats to stop them then just running the downspout on the side nearest you, and just letting it flood the front anyway. Or just leaving it, as the fall will cascade it down the front of your property, more than theirs.

keith969

jfdi wrote: »

keith969 - correct. Unfortunately there's no drain - just pipe straight into ground & funnelled down more pipe to the soakaway.

You could create a 'drain' though from the type of gutter section that connects to a downpipe, plus a couple of end pieces. All you need to do is to cut a secton of the pipe away, and fit the gutter section on the lower part of the pipe (the bit that goes into the ground and on to the soakaway). The downpipe stops above this, so water will normally drain down into the ground, but can escape if the soakaway can't handle any more.

Another way of doing it would be to put in a T joint in the pipe at ground level; basically anything that lets the water flow down the pipe but allows an overflow at ground level if the soakaway gets full.

jfdi

keith969 wrote: »

All you need to do is to cut a secton of the pipe away, and fit the gutter section on the lower part of the pipe (the bit that goes into the ground and on to the soakaway).

Good idea! An overflow pipe for the soakaway! I'll check this out next w/e (next time I'll be here in daylight!). :rolleyes:

Methinks I may have found a job for OH on his Christmas shutdown!!!!!:rotfl:

darich

Your local water authority will have to give permission for you to connect any pipe into the existing system.
You could do it without permission but you'd leave yourself open to prosecution from them. They may also decide that they need to correct or remove any illegal pipes and then send you the bill.

I'd be very wary of connecting into a gully or manhole...even if it seems easier and quicker.

dampdaveski

If your gutters take next doors water and that was the way the house had been built. then by taking direct action and blocking or diverting the flow of his water, you could indeed get yourself in deep water (no pun intended:D).
Your actions could cause him a loss as a direct result of your actions and next thing you know you have a writ landing on your door mat.
Even worse you might get a no win no fee scum no morals deserve instant death solictor on your case - though to be fair if there isn't an insurance company involved these lower than low life scum won't be interested!

You might have gathered I don't have a great deal of time for no win no fee solicitors - scum of the earth, the lot of em (and that's insulting scum)
Peace to all - except the no win no fee lot
:santa2: Ho HO Ho
DD