Surface Water Drainage query

Dizzyduck

Hi

I was hoping somebody could advise.
The area I live in is a relatively new development (post 2001) and recently there has been a Facebook campaign to reclaim SW charges re Regulations that state SW should go to a soakaway.
How can I tell if the SW does go to a soakaway? And how stringent are the Regs? Is the drainage checked after it has been installed?

Thank you for reading.
Dd

Cardew

I take it SW means Southern Water and not South West Water?


It would be unusual if a post 2001 property didn't have a soakaway; the developer wouldn't normally have got planning permission unless they made provision for a soakaway.


If you have access to your sewer you can check by running a hose on your gutters and check that nothing is entering your sewer.


Frankly the best way is to 'invent' a site* for your soakaway(a man down the pub told you where it was;)) and claim relief. They might not even bother to check.

* it will be underground somewhere - not always your garden.

Dizzyduck

Thank you Cardew.

I was using SW for surface water, I'm actually in the Thames Water region.

I suspect TW are not checking as there have been a large number of refunds over the last couple of weeks & I think they will be busy with network problems associated with the weather rather than checking for soakaways.

Your help is appreciated.
Dd

Cardew

Dizzyduck wrote: »

Thank you Cardew.


I suspect TW are not checking as there have been a large number of refunds over the last couple of weeks

Your help is appreciated.
Dd

The irony is that it doesn't matter to Thames Water if loads of people get a refund for SWD as their revenue, and hence profit, is fixed by the Regulator. So if they lose, say, £1million in income from SWD, they will increase other charges for all customers by a small amount to compensate.


There is a new ruling by Ofwat that they can backdate the refund for six years if they 'reasonably' should have known that you shouldn't have been charged for SWD. There is a thread on this subject of backdating.

anotherbaldrick

What will give you a good guide to where your surface water goes will be the nature of the subsoil on your site. Chalk definitely soakaway, clay will not be to soakaways. Where we are (in a Thames Water Area) you can get either in just a few hundred yards.
As a generality in Wiltshire the north west 1/3 is clay the south east 2/3 is chalk


You can download a surface water rebate form from your water authorities website.

Dizzyduck

Cardew, most people are getting the 6 years backdated charges.

AB - I did wonder as we are in a clay area and the ground is saturated just now, have completed the SWD rebate form - very simple.

If TW does decide to check I guess they can reverse all the refunds they have given & request payment?

Thank you both
Dd

Johnhowell

We claimed for surface water discount from Anglian Water a few years ago. It could only be back dated 1 year and we had to show proof of the Planning/Building Control documents which showed the soakaways.


Good luck,
John

andygb

We have just received a letter from Southern Water regarding surface water drainage, and we are being refunded the charges back to 2008.