Help...sewerage problem!!

first78

I live in an end terrace house and out in our back yard there is a large metal drain cover. We've just noticed water leaking out of it so I lifted the cover and realised it must be where the waste pipe from our toilet is as it's full of water, loo roll...you get the picture!!

Never had anything like this happen...is this something I can maybe sort myself? If not, who do I need to contact? Really can't afford big bills just now!

C_Mababejive

You need to find out if its a common interceptor for the rest of the row. If it is,then they must bear part of the costs ! Best thing to do is phone local council who may have a statutory responsibility to clear the drain and will then send charge notices to all properties served.

nickcc

Only residents with a property upstream of the blockage in the sewerage pipe are responsible for the cost of clearing the blockage. If you have, or can get hold of, a set of drain rods you can try clearing the blockage yourself, not a pleasant job so may be best left to the professionals. Pressure jetting companies can be very expensive so a local plumber may be your best option. I also understand that water supply companies are now responsible for sewerage pipes on your property (from last October I think) so may be worth checking with them first.

chrisw

There was a change in the law in 2011 so if it's a shared drain then it's the water companies responsibility to clear it.

I don't know who your water company is, but United Utilities give a good diagram of responsibilities on their website:-

http://www.unitedutilities.com/sewers-and-drains-explained.aspx

Your water company should be the same.

anotherginger

Phone your sewerage company first of all, they have responsibility for shared drains. If it's not clear whether it's shared they might unblock it anyway to try to find out.

You could get a big stick and see if you loosen up whatever is in there.

sjoh0961

We had this exact problem when we moved into our house last year. We spent a bit of time fiddling with it, using a hose, to get the immediate problem sorted.

What we should have done is phoned Thames Water. The second time it happened, we phoned them, and they came out to jet it clear.

It subsequently became clear that our part of the sewer is the start of the sewer that runs along the back of a four-house terrace, so the bit on our land is private, i.e. if the blockage was on our land, we would be in for expensive hassle.

Thames Water came back to CCTV to find out where the blockage was, and it's not on our property, thankfully.

Fortunately for us, this means that Thames Water bear the cost. Unfortunately, it means they'll have to dig up part of our neighbour's garden.

Anyway, what I'm saying is that I'm pretty sure your water company have a responsibility to clear and investigate in the first instance, especially if you have sewage coming into your garden, as that's a public health issue.

If it's an old house, the chances are that no-one knows where the drains are, even the water company, as they have only recently taken over legal responsibility for these sewers.

Sorry to ramble; hope there's something useful in there.

Tim

cyclonebri1

Sounds like you have some real bad s!!t man:(

stef73

Is your terraced house pre 1937, if it is then look at section 24 sewers if 2 or more properties are affected by this blockage then its the water company who are responsible for maintenance and upkeep of this sewer. I know this because ours are section 24 sewers and have a email confirming this from united utilities and when they block anyone in the terrace can phone them and they have to unblock them.

usignuolo

There was a Sarah Beeny tv show recently with someone with a similar sounding problem to yours and when they investigated it was just blocked with old cooking fat. They were able to clear it quite quickly with a high pressure water hose.

It's not the council responsibility to clear drains round here. We have a Victorian house and our sewers run behind the house, away from the house under the garden and on under further gardens beyond that. There are no maps.

When we had our conservatory put in, the council came round and put a camera down it to try to update their maps. It ran 150 metres down our back garden and across the ones behind it and still no sign of where it was going, so they gave up. Thames Water does not know where the sewers run locally either.

So when there is a blockage locally round here everyone has to pay for someone private to come and unblock it. To be fair the contractors are all very efficient, and it is not a job I would want to do.

sjoh0961

usignuolo wrote: »

So when there is a blockage locally round here everyone has to pay for someone private to come and unblock it. To be fair the contractors are all very efficient, and it is not a job I would want to do.

FWIW usignuolo, I'm sure that Thames Water has responsibility for all those shared drains. The person whose house the drain starts from has responsibility until it leaves their property, then it becomes Thames Water's...

http://www.thameswater.co.uk/help-and-advice/8654.htm

Sorry if I'm wrong...

Tim

olly300

I lived in a 1930s house built before 1937 and Thames Water unblocked the joint drain when it became blocked even though it was in our private garden.

What was more confusing is Thames Water actually owned the bottom two thirds of the garden leaving the house with a garden 3 times the size of neighbouring properties.