surface water - why am i paying for it?

arc

howdy

just got my very first waterbill.. awww.. anyway, i'm being charged for surface water drainage. I'm not sure why, I live in 4th floor appartment - theres more above me, and i have no outside space.. i dont have anything that collects surface water.. so why am i being charged to drain it? How is it calculated?

Cardew

The 'default' position of water companies is for everyone to pay it and you have to apply to 'opt out'.

It is a charge for any water from gutters and grounds that enters the sewer.

For more information of how to go about claiming relief from that charge, do a search for surface water drainage on the forum.

See if your neighbours in the block are paying it as well.

Different companies calculate the charge in different ways - and it depends also if you are metered or not.

Altarf

The Surface Water charge is to pay for the disposal of water that falls on your home, either from the roof or the surrounding land, into the water companies sewers. Your property has a roof (although it may be several floors up) and the water from it needs to be disposed of.

The only time you don't pay the Surface Water charge is when the water doesn't drain into the public sewer, but is disposed of on your property, e.g. in a soakaway.

More info here - http://www.unitedutilities.com/Documents/Surface_water_drainage_household_customers_2009-2010.pdf

gardner1

so they charge us to dispose of water, clean and filter it then sell it back to us

DVardysShadow

gardner1 wrote: »

so they charge us to dispose of water, clean and filter it then sell it back to us:rolleyes:

Correct. It would be cheaper to cut out the middleman, but inevitably the chavs wouldn't do it right and there would be a cholera epidemic. I think it is better to stay with the system on this one, although I would prefer the process as you ahve outlined it to be in public ownership.

arc

so how is it calculated, logic says it's the surface area of the roof divided by how many dwellings are below it - but i suspect it's not, and the water company simply charge a flat rate for each dwelling

Cardew

arc wrote: »

so how is it calculated, logic says it's the surface area of the roof divided by how many dwellings are below it - but i suspect it's not, and the water company simply charge a flat rate for each dwelling

Charging methods depend on your company, and metered or unmetered.

For instance Severn Trent charge 3 rates, depending on Flat/Tce house, Semi, or Detached(roughly £30/£60/£90) or you can pay xxp per £ RV.

The issue has been raised about a block of say 50 flats each paying a charge which raises large amounts, and no more water might be reaching the sewer than a big house with load of land.

To be fair to the water companies, this was a condition imposed upon them when water was privatised.

Believe it or not, they don't gain from these charges. Ofwat the water Regulator stipulates just how much profit the companies make. So if they got no income from Surface Water Drainage, they would simply raise the lost revenue from increasing all other charges a little.

That said it is worth taking up your situation with your water company as your water may not enter the sewer. If that fails contact the Consumer Council for Water and see if they can help.

nikkimaclean

As far as I know all water companies charge domestic customer's a flat rate, I don't think any measure the surface area of the roof for domestics.

If you are billed on a meter it can be the same flat rate charge for all domestic customers, or it can be based on a flat rate for a "flat", with semis and detached properties charged a higher rate, all depends on which water company you are with.

On rateable value the charge will be calculated using the Rateable Value of your flat, again not really anything to do with the roof size.

Cardew

nikkimaclean wrote: »

On rateable value the charge will be calculated using the Rateable Value of your flat, again not really anything to do with the roof size.

Severn Trent give you an option. You can chose to pay xxp per 1£ of RV or the flat rate for the 3 types of property; most will be better off with flat rate.

It is worth pointing out that it is not just water from gutters, but any rainwater from the grounds/drive that runs into the sewer - even if it goes onto the road outside and eventually reaches the sewer.

nikkimaclean

It's not strictly true that Severn Trent give you a choice. The choice is only applicable if a property was metered prior to '95 and is still being billed for surface water on RV, then there is the option to be billed on property type. Otherwise you will be billed either all RV or all "measured" services.

Cardew

Loads of people have opted out of paying the charge - if you do a search for 'Surface Water Drainage' on this forum you will see plenty of posts.