So how does water supply work then?

humfer

Am with Severn Trent and after reading the thread about claiming a rebate back from your water company if surface water doesn't go back into the main sewer system am pretty convinced I should be able to get a rebate

Anyhow this has got me thinking and after 5 years in my house I realised I know nothing of how the water supply works. I have 2 inspection covers on my drive. One smallish one which I checked this afternoon seems to take tap water away. The other one is bigger and I seem to remember when I moved in being shown it was the main drains for toilet waste. I'm pretty sure my drain in front of my garage (which takes all the roof/surface water) goes straight into a brook/soakaway. If this is all correct which pipe does the dishwater/washing machine/shower/etc go down? Do the 2 main pipes get combined back into 1 before entering the main sewage pipe? Any more help much appreciated

Cardew

All water from inside the house goes into the sewer.

The outlets from the house(or several houses) can combine before entering the main sewer, or enter at different points.

The surface water charge is imposed if any water from outside the house(gutters garden etc) enters the sewer or runs into the road - where it usually finishes up in a sewer.

It is rare for modern buildings to have other than soakaways for surface water.

Easy to check - find a sewer manhole 'downstream' from your property and put a hose onto your guttering.