Neighbours causing our drains to back up every month.

MrsNorthman

If this post is in the wrong place, I appologise, I wasn't sure where was best to post it.

Long before me and our (joined on) neighbours moved in there has been problems with the drains here, they have always backed up in our garden and our JO neighbours garden, it doesn't help that the pipe is thinner than it should be and doesn't have a fall on it, but Yorkshire water is adamant that regardless of these things it still shouldn't cause it to block up as often as it does.

Over the last 5 months the drains have backed up 6 times, we have always let our local authority clear then as they are pretty quick to do so, but both us and JO neighbours have had enough so we decided to get Yorkshire Water onto it in the hope of it being sorted once and for all, as they camera the drains when they clear them whereas the local authority don't.

We have now found out the reason they are blocking is because one of our neighbours is flushing baby wipes and sanitary products down the toilet, Yorkshire Water have been sending letters out to the neighbours about it, but obviously they aren't taking notice.

There are only 4 houses on our row, both us and our JO neighbours aren't causing the blockage, we don't flush things like that and have no intention of causing the drains to back up as we don't like having excrement all over our gardens where our children play, so it is either our not JO neighbours or the ones joined onto them. The blockage is happening somewhere between our house and our not JO neighbours.

The letters obviously having no effect so I'm wondering what else can we do, do we approach them ourselves?, inform Environment health, the local authority?

Any suggestions will be appreciated and I appologise for the long post.

NewKittenHelp

Knock on and ask them if they are causing the issue?

Fire_Fox

Definitely try Environmental Health.

Nicki

Do both of the suspected houses have young children? Your culprit is likely to be a family with a baby or toddler if the main issue is baby wipes clogging the system, so perhaps start with the most likely offender, and speak to them directly and explain the problem?

FunWithFlags

I agree, try Environmental Health.

Oh, and i wouldn't necessarily assume it's a family with young children flushing the wipes. A friend of OH has been in trouble with his landlord recently because he blocked the pipes with his baby wipes that he uses for his own bum to feel fresh after a poo lol :rotfl: Plus, wipes are more likely to be chucked with the nappy, not carted off to the toilet and flushed away.

Hope you get it sorted OP because it sounds like a right pain!

MrsNorthman

In the house nearest us is an elderly woman and her 2 grown up children (both late 30s) and next door to them are a couple with a young girl (about 2 or 3).

They all had letters, I wouldve assumed if it had been the one with the child they would have knocked it off by now as the drain men have to clear the drains from their garden.

The main thing that makes me think it's the ones closest to us is the fact that they have lived here longer than anyone and the problems have been here the same amount of time, not only that but one previous time the drains were cleared they said it was food that had blocked it and they are known for clearing plates down the loo too.

Although I can't go pointing the finger at them as I have no proof.

Lozzy88

MrsNorthman wrote: »

one previous time the drains were cleared they said it was food that had blocked it and they are known for clearing plates down the loo too.

What a odd thing to do!, Maybe they arnt babywipes that are clogging it up, they could be cleaning wipes like the ones to clean your kitchen/bathroom scented and anti bacterial (i cant remember what they are called) I would imagine they all look the same when they are causing a blockage.

camlo

You say sanitary products but could it be tena pads?? Wet wipes could also be used to remove make up so not just baby related. cotton buds are the worst for blocking our system and once a neighbour managed to flush a whole loo roll and tubes of toothpaste down... :eek:

MrsNorthman

lozzy88 wrote: »

What a odd thing to do!, Maybe they arnt babywipes that are clogging it up, they could be cleaning wipes like the ones to clean your kitchen/bathroom scented and anti bacterial (i cant remember what they are called) I would imagine they all look the same when they are causing a blockage.

The drain man said, it could be any kind of wipe and the sanitary products may not actually be "monthly" items, they could be incontinence pads! So it's impossible for Yorkshire Water to say who it could be, I mentioned to them about sending someone out to have words with the neighbours, mention the fact if they find out who it is that they will be fined (which they said would happen, but they don't have proof) but they don't seem interested and are happy to be called out every month.

I do find it a bit sussy that it happens monthly and sanitary products are somewhat to blame.

Fire_Fox

MrsNorthman wrote: »

The drain man said, it could be any kind of wipe and the sanitary products may not actually be "monthly" items, they could be incontinence pads! So it's impossible for Yorkshire Water to say who it could be, I mentioned to them about sending someone out to have words with the neighbours, mention the fact if they find out who it is that they will be fined (which they said would happen, but they don't have proof) but they don't seem interested and are happy to be called out every month.

I do find it a bit sussy that it happens monthly and sanitary products are somewhat to blame.

AFAIK it's not Yorkshire Water's job to investigate or gather proof of the culprit, Environmental Health have powers that YW do not. What do the neighbours that you think are to blame when you ask them about it? Assuming is a dangerous thing.

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

Casually mention that Enviro Health will be conducting DNA testing on the offending wipes next time it happens...!