Water/Drainage search - Sewer problem

jonnyb1978

Just received the searches back for the water/drainage.

My solicitor has referred me to the heading 'Drainage assets within the boundary'
Does the public sewer map indicate any public sewer, disposal main or lateral drain within the boundaries of property? It has a red square indicating this question needs attention and an answer yes.

According to the map the public sewer starts in the turn around of the cul de sac then run underneath the front garden, passed the corner of the house (still garden area), and to just outside the boudary wall.

It also refers that no statutory access to records in relation to a 'building over agreement' being approved.

Solicitor wants to know if we want to proceed notwithstanding the entries.

All mumbojumbo to me.

From the looks of things the public sewer does not run under the house but the garden area. But an extension has been built to the rear and from the toilet soil stack the most direct route to the public sewer would go under the extension, but that is an assumption.

I understand that a blocked sewer etc could be costly if in the wrong place. What do i need to do now? How can i find access to the sewer? Would a drainage survey be the best bet?

It also has a mains drain which is situated on the drive way. This, i think does not pose a problem.

I should add that the whole original house looks like it has been built within 3m of the sewer pipe. Would the developer need to ask for approval or would this be ok?

Davesnave

What you're saying is difficult to interpret without a drawing.

I think you are saying that the route of your own foul water drain passes under the extension to reach the main sewer. Also, it appears that the main sewer passes within 3m of the original house.

You haven't said when the house was built, so while there might be a requirement now for sewers to be more than 3m from the house without a building-over agreement, that may not have been the position when the main house was constructed. The main sewer passed closer than 3m to my last house, but that was built in 1937 when modern rules didn't apply.

If the main sewer doesn't go under any part of the house, I wouldn't worry too much.

As for your own foul water drain passing under the extension, that isn't a problem if the construction was done properly and there are rodding points on both sides. I have that situation where I live now.

A drainage survey might put your mind at rest, but the appropriateness of that depends on the age of the property and you own confidence in assessing the private drainage parts of the system.

AdrianC

The main sewer for about a dozen or twenty houses passed right under the kitchen and living room of our old house - and blocked a couple of times... It wasn't actually a big problem. We just called the water company, who had a van out in minutes flat (first time was Xmas eve, in the snow). They cleared it out from the manholes in front and behind the house.

If the drain had had to be excavated, it may well have been fun'n'games, sure - but how often does that actually happen? Odds are they could have used a mole to replace any damaged sections, too.

Our buyer's solicitor had no issues with it, nor had ours on purchase.

jonnyb1978

Thanks, i will try and get a picture up. The property is around 22 years old. (1993)

I have been to the property and there are 2 square metal man hole covers in the road at the end of the cul de sac. A further 2 square grids on the road further down outside our boundary wall.

Would these represent the foul sewer and surface water sewer?

If so and i was to draw a straight line joining the two i think the sewer pipe will just touch under our garden and not be as bad as the red line on the searches suggest.

There is a mains drain on the drive way. (A large round manhole cover). Dont see a problem here as we will not be extending.

There is also a small round man hole cover on the driveway..What will this be?

jonnyb1978

Davesnave

From the map, it looks as if you will be fine. Though the red line (sewer) passes close to your house, it might, as you suggest, be not quite so close. If the whole cul-de-sac was built around 1993, with new drains, there's unlikely to be an issue.

These maps aren't always totally accurate. When I bought my present property, it seemed from the map that my predecessor had built right over the village water main. In fact, he built at the correct distance from it.

The small round cover might just be a rodding 'eye.'

jonnyb1978

Davesnave wrote: »

From the map, it looks as if you will be fine. Though the red line (sewer) passes close to your house, it might, as you suggest, be not quite so close. If the whole cul-de-sac was built around 1993, with new drains, there's unlikely to be an issue.

These maps aren't always totally accurate. When I bought my present property, it seemed from the map that my predecessor had built right over the village water main. In fact, he built at the correct distance from it.

The small round cover might just be a rodding 'eye.'

Thanks you. Just drove past again and I think the red line is quite a way out. A straight line from manhole to manhole almost certain will run along the road. Possibly touching the edge of garden. As you say, hopefully it will be OK. I feel more positive now.

Now rodding eyes... 2 in front I think. There is a downstairs toilet near one and one in drive several feet from a down pipe from guttering. Are these connected??

The toilet stack from main bathroom and ensuite run down the back of the house on a side extension. Am I right in saying there should be a rodding eye near here also? Or could one at the front be for this if the private sewerage runs under side extension to join up with downstairs toilet waste.