checking drain situation

Dan-Dan

hi all

proper ftb q i know but my surveyor has told me the area we are buying in has a lot of `unadopted drains`

can anyone give me an idiots guide to this and should i tell my solicitor ?

I assume if so , then i need to check my potential liabilty in the future ?

I am assuming if the current neighbours wanted to they would have already attempted to get the water company to adopt ?

I have done some rudimetary reading on the subject but just wanted some advise off my good pals on here!

Thanks

mrschaucer

A surveyor who doesn't know that most drains/sewers now come under the local water company's jurisdiction? Not impressive. The only drain you are responsible for is your own "private" drain on your own property (do check out the diagrams provided by your water co on their website as it can be complicated). Anything else is not down to you.
http://www.ccwater.org.uk/server.php?show=nav.1278

Dan-Dan

hmmm , thank you for your reply , he hasnt been out yet , he is very local and thats what he mentioned , i think that there are two chambers , and one is on a shared boundary , and one is in the back garden of our house

How would we know before buying , about what belongs where an to who , on the water website ?

I would like to know my position really , although it wont , i dont think , stop us actually proceeding anyway...

mrschaucer

I would think that when he comes out to do the survey you can ask him to check the drain runs from the house to see where they go and where they join other people's drains (ie lift those drain covers), and work out your responsibility from that?

Dan-Dan

I will do , thanks for your help mrschaucer

Furts

The rules regarding drainage changed in autumn 2011 IIRR. Many previously private drains became the responsibility of the Water Authorities.

In many cases the water authorities do not have a clue where these drains are located - there are no records.

Speak with your surveyor. Is he;
Covering his backside because he does not know the situation?
Or saying your Water Authority has not got round to processing matters?
Or matters are being updated but he does not know the current situation?

I canot think of property areas where there could be"lots of unadopted drainage"

Dan-Dan

I suspect Furts that he isnt updated on the current situation , basically i asked him to be sure to lift the inspection covers , just to see the state of them inside , for branches etc , and he said no problem but be aware a fe drains round that area are `unadpoted` as far as he knew..

I would just like to have an idea of my liability really

camptownraces

Dan-Dan wrote: »

hi all

proper ftb q i know but my surveyor has told me the area we are buying in has a lot of `unadopted drains`

can anyone give me an idiots guide to this and should i tell my solicitor ?

I assume if so , then i need to check my potential liabilty in the future ?

I am assuming if the current neighbours wanted to they would have already attempted to get the water company to adopt ?

I have done some rudimetary reading on the subject but just wanted some advise off my good pals on here!

Thanks

Your solicitor should do searches (a) with the local authority and (b) with the water board (or whatever it now calls itself) about both the water supply and drainage for the property.

This second search should reveal what you need to know, and you can ask both your surveyor and your solicitor if they have any comments or suggestions in the light of the findings.

Dan-Dan

camptownraces wrote: »

Your solicitor should do searches (a) with the local authority and (b) with the water board (or whatever it now calls itself) about both the water supply and drainage for the property.

This second search should reveal what you need to know, and you can ask both your surveyor and your solicitor if they have any comments or suggestions in the light of the findings.

Thank you

is it worth sending my solicitor an email just to mention that this particular thing is important for us to know or will it happen automatically ?

Cheers

Furts

Dan-Dan wrote: »

I suspect Furts that he isnt updated on the current situation , basically i asked him to be sure to lift the inspection covers , just to see the state of them inside , for branches etc , and he said no problem but be aware a fe drains round that area are `unadpoted` as far as he knew..

I would just like to have an idea of my liability really

In basic or simple terms;- if you lift the manhole cover and the only drains are coming exclusively from your property then it is a private drain.

If you lift the manhole and there is a drain in it coming from a neighbour, or neighbours, then it is an adopted drain.

The maintenance of an adopted drain is funded by the Water Authority.

The maintenance of a private drain would be your responsibility.

Dan-Dan

Hi All

Just an update, i spoke to my surveyor today, he tells me that he has surveyed another house nearby about 3 or 4 years ago he thinks that that house, amongst many others in this area all had drains that led down to the `main drain` at the bottom of the estate, and that is the drain that was unadopted at that time , and its this drain he thinks our little group of houses might feed to as well

I find it hard to believe, even as someone who doesn’t really know a lot about it, that a main sewage drain serving the branches of about 45 houses cannot be unadopted, surely?!?

I did say to him my solicitor would raise searches on it with the local authority and water board (Anglia) but he just sort of shrugged and says maybe i will find out more that way , maybe not , but someone must know!

I think he is an expert on BUILDINGS but maybe not an expert on drainage situations etc (or maybe not up to date on the situation considering them , in his words), he is very very well known in the town and is considered an expert on all sorts of property , commerical , residential etc

Hope that`s the case anyway, surely you wouldn’t get this many households sharing costs if the drain collapsed or something?!?

I can post a satellite Google earth image, if that helps anyone who knows these things picture what i am saying?