raw sewage coming out of manhole cover, who is responsible??

davemorton

I have a show which is halfway down a hill. Outside the shop, (the side of the shop nearer the top of the hill) on the path is a drain cover. Sewerage is coming out of the drain. I have called the council who say it is not their problem, I have called the water company who just say it is privately owned, so who is responsible for it, is it me??

Cardew

I gather it is 'upstream' from your property, so presumably you have no drainage problems from your shop?

If it is under a road it should be the Council's problem, I can't see a sewer under a road being privately owned.

Ring environmental health at the council and get them to sort it out, or the local newspaper!

Gothicfairy

Is it an adopted sewer or not ? is the road adopted ?

davemorton

Yes, its a semi-main road, quite busy leading to approx 100 houses.

Gothicfairy

In that case it should be the councils ( if under the road ) or the water companies.
which company are you with ?

davemorton

Northumbria Water.

Poosmate

Is the manhole cover on public highway ie the main footpath or road? Or is it in an entryway that serves the backs of the shops/properties?

With drainage it doesn't matter who owns the land above the sewer the responsibilty of the sewer and manhole covers is that of all the people who's properties are served by it up until the blockage and any repairs or unblockages should be paid for by them collectively. The exception is to those downstream of the blockage as they were obviously not responsible for the blockage ie what they've flushed out of their properties has flowed away from the blockage downstream not back up.

If the properties served by the sewers were built before Oct 1936 and the sewer serves more than one property it is the responsibility of the water board.

You can call your local Environmental Health department and they can do dye tests to check who is connected to that particular sewer.

Hope that helps

Poo
(Oh! Apt name! lol)