Water and Drainage Search - Adopted Sewer

Starjust

Hi all,
We're a couple of weeks in to a house purchase, everything seems to be progressing quickly and we've just had the results of our Searches through.
We've had some advice on the Water and Drainage search that I intend to follow up with the Solicitor on Monday but I wonder if anyone might be able to shed some light in the meantime?

The Search finds that "there are sewers within the boundaries of the property that may affect future development"
It then goes on to mention the adoption of private drains in October 2011 and that the water authority plans we've been provided with are not neccessarily up to date with the adoptions and there could be others not shown....

Fair enough, I think I understand so far. I can see a public foul sewer on the plans just clipping the front garden and driveway.
If we wanted to build here in the future it could get tricky. Not that we'd want to, we need the drive. Move on, job done I think...

But the advice we get from our solicitor is to "inspect the property again and ensure that none of the buildings are built over a sewer, and if they are to inform them of the same."

The house was built in early 1980's and has never been modified/extended. But my issue relates to not knowing if there are other sewers that I don't know about. There's already an admission that the water company plans are not neccessarily up to date but how would I know where the sewers would run?

I'm thinking this is only an issue if the property has been extended however it's making us nervous all the same.
Why is it the paperwork which raises the most questions always arrives on a Saturday???
Surely this isn't anything to worry about is it?

Your reassurance would be appreciated but also I guess so would the opposite (assurance??? :huh:)

:beer:

Furts

Hi Starjust

Reassurance for you. If your house is original, the chances of it being built on adopted drains is very. very, slight. Your drainage may travel under your house from back to front, or whatever. But the chances are low and the chance of this being shared with others and being adopted are more remote. Basically, it is all down to principles of drainage design, access for maintenance, repairs and testing!

Coming onto Oct 201. Do not be alarmed. The law changed to make water authorities responsible for some shared drains that were previously private. The plus is that this removes the risk from householders. The negative is the water authorities do not know the positions and levels of these because they did not install, or oversee, or record the details. This was never their responsibility. So, the water authorities have to be cautious on this matter. It really is not their fault!

Richard_Webster

If the house was built in the 1980s there should be manholes at any junctions or even changes in direction of pipes. It was very often the case that a private sewer would say go through back gardens taking drainage from a number of houses and then go down under a sideway to connect with a public sewer in or near the road.

Just to explain, a pipe that takes drainage form more than one property is a sewer.

It is therefore possible that there could be a former private sewer (not shown on drainage search plans)running say through back gardens. This will now be a public one. In the vast majority of cases, particularly with a 1980s development, you should be able to track the routes by opening manholes. Building within 3m of such a sewer can be more difficult and may not be allowed if you are too close.

Starjust

Thankyou both for the input
From our plan I can see that each of the 4 houses on either side of the cul de sac have a sewer below the front garden that joins with one running under the road.
None are shown under the back garden and to be honest even if they do exist as part of the adoption, we're not too bothered about building out there anyway.
My concern was really if there was a possibility that the house itself could have been built over one, but this seems unlikely now. And surely the water company wouldn't insist on knocking down the house to get access to the sewer.....

Furts

Starjust wrote: »

Thankyou both for the input
From our plan I can see that each of the 4 houses on either side of the cul de sac have a sewer below the front garden that joins with one running under the road.
None are shown under the back garden and to be honest even if they do exist as part of the adoption, we're not too bothered about building out there anyway.
My concern was really if there was a possibility that the house itself could have been built over one, but this seems unlikely now. And surely the water company wouldn't insist on knocking down the house to get access to the sewer.....

Hi Starjust

It is most unlikely to be built over a, "newly", adopted drain.

It is my belief the water authorities did not want to adopt these drains but the rules changed in Oct 2011. They had to adopt them. It is a certainty they do not want to get deeply involved in any historic issues.This will cost them time and money. Plus, it is unlikely they have the mechanisms and powers to make retrospective alterations.

So as far as possible, unless you are an exception, do not worry about this.

Starjust

Thanks, I'm reassured!