Buying a property with private sewer?

avalanchegv

Hi all,

I’ve been a long time lurker and first time poster now. I hope I can get some advice from the knowledgeable people here. Any help/comments/suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.


The drainage/sewer for the property that I’m buying has not been adopted and so I’m assuming the property runs through a private sewer before connecting to the public one. We did a water/drainage search (I have not seen the result yet, on its way to me now) and I think the distance to the nearest public sewer should be at most 100m. The property is built in around 1993.


The Local Authority Search Report did mention something about Section 104 Agreement:
WATER INDUSTRY ACT 1991 – SECTION 104 AGREEMENT BETWEEN SALFORD CITY COUNCIL, <DEVELOPER NAME> DATED 13/10/94. REGISTERED 5/9/94.
My solicitor said that she couldn’t find any evidence regarding a bond in place and we are now awaiting a query from the water company to see if they will be maintaining the private sewers.


So I’m just wondering if this is something that I should be worried about or whether it would be a deal breaker?
I’m assuming quite a lot of properties must be in similar situation?

Thanks a lot!

Richard_Webster

There are thousands of houses built since 1937 with private sewers.

I have one that was put in 1953 when my house was built and has never needed any work in all that time. I too am about 100m from the nearest public sewer connection.

As long as you appreciate that if there is a blockage etc you might have to pay for work to the shared length of private sewer then it is no big deal.

Also remember that the Drainage Search tells you that the property hopefully is eventually connected to the public system but it doesn't tell you the route, so occasionally it may not be to the nearest public sewer.

avalanchegv

Thanks a lot Richard.

I guess I'll have to wait for the water search results and see what other info I can find out from there.
Not sure how much it costs if anything goes wrong but hopefully I can take a guess on the number of properties that are sharing the private sewer from the search results.

It seems like if I were to pass on this I might face the same thing on the next one that I'll be buying.

Thanks again.

G_M

avalanchegv wrote: »

....I’m assuming the property runs through a private sewer before connecting to the public one. ....

I wouldn't want to be in that property! Sounds smelly!

Seriously, private sewers are common. Best people to speak to are the owners and neighbours.

My sewer runs through my neighbors property to a cess pit in his garden. No big deal. (mainly because I'm careful what I put down it...)

avalanchegv

lol... thanks... im feeling more comfortable now...
will be patient and wait for the documentations and then will proceed with my purchase