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Internal sewage drain flooded kitchen
kaggy30
Posts: 36 Forumite
Hi all,
I'm after some intelligible advice regarding a flooding of sewage water inside my kitchen 2 nights ago.....sorry, it's a long post!
I live in a 1 bedroom maisonette. I started to smell sewage early in the evening and assumed it was from the sea as we live close to it.
We suffered torrential rain for the best part of the day and it is typical for me get rain in my porch coming down from the steps. I knew it was raining and took my usual precaution of making sure my small drain was unclear of leaves etc
I then started to noticed wet patches on my carpet by my front door and in front of my kitchen sink....but was confused as my porch was clear of water and my drain was fine. I checked the sink drain and pipes and everything was dry. The stench was getting worse and puddles of water was coming out from under my feet. Luckily my 3 year old was asleep upstairs!
Pictures of the start of it...
I went round to next door to ask if there drain was blocked as my porch is adjacent to theirs and I could smell the stench. He checked his drain, it stunk and was high with water.
After texting my landlady, she text back saying that there is a drain cover under my carpet in the corner of the kitchen which I was never aware of in the 2 years I have been here.
My ex partner who lives local came rushing down, pulled the corner of the carpet up to find a large concrete manhole cover leaking sewage water. I immediately contacted Southern Water and they said someone will be out later in the evening.
Southern Water rang again and confirmed that they were busy, we said we were going to get rods to see if we could unblock it ourselves because it would get worse.
He unscrewed it then we saw that the skirting board had been fitted on top of it so we had to rip that of to get cover off. The cover was heavy and we had to wedge screwdrivers underneath. He then dropped it as it was so heavy and suffered splash back
(probably too much information lol)
When it was opened we could see there was toilet tissue in it confirming it was sewage. I know the risks of what goes down my sink and toilet etc and I am cautious of this so I was a bit shocked as to how this was caused?
I later had it confirmed by Southern Water that the drain is shared with my neighbours next door who live in a separate house and my upstairs neighbour. So I effectively had mine and everyone elses faeces flooding in my kitchen!
I wrapped my arm up with bin bags and tried to get the tissue out but nothing was happening. We contacted a friend who had drain rods and used 27ft of them to unblock it which would of gone right out to front garden/street - nothing happened! We tried to push them through the other hole facing towards my door and it bubbled up with a horrendous smell (causing us to throw up!) behind the wall in my neighbors porch which sounded like it was bubbling up through their drain - nothing happened!
We then ripped the carpet up and got it outside quickly!
We then discovered that there was a small round access point in my front garden under the gravel. We plugged it with less than 1metre of rod and everything disappeared! Yes, we did cheer!
My landlady came to inspect yesterday and said that 3 years ago there was a problem with the drain in my porch and she had to pay a few thousand to a local company to attach it to the drain in my kitchen. She stated that they obviously didn't reseal the drain properly. We asked her if she would replace the carpet ASAP she said it would take her a few weeks but she would replace the whole of the kitchen carpet. I later received a text off her to say that she would only replace the 'missing bit of carpet' as it would be quicker and more convenient for her! Am I right in thinking that she will need to get professional cleaners in and replace the whole carpet that had received splashes and us walking around on it etc. I have bleached most of the concrete floor but I still don't trust that it is gone and my 3 year old plays on the kitchen floor! Also, the water went under chipboard cupboard under sink, surely this would also need to be gone? including the skirting boards?
Please can someone advise me what to do ?
Sorry for the lengthy post, it's actually made me feel better typing it all out lol...
I'm after some intelligible advice regarding a flooding of sewage water inside my kitchen 2 nights ago.....sorry, it's a long post!
I live in a 1 bedroom maisonette. I started to smell sewage early in the evening and assumed it was from the sea as we live close to it.
We suffered torrential rain for the best part of the day and it is typical for me get rain in my porch coming down from the steps. I knew it was raining and took my usual precaution of making sure my small drain was unclear of leaves etc
I then started to noticed wet patches on my carpet by my front door and in front of my kitchen sink....but was confused as my porch was clear of water and my drain was fine. I checked the sink drain and pipes and everything was dry. The stench was getting worse and puddles of water was coming out from under my feet. Luckily my 3 year old was asleep upstairs!
Pictures of the start of it...
I went round to next door to ask if there drain was blocked as my porch is adjacent to theirs and I could smell the stench. He checked his drain, it stunk and was high with water.
After texting my landlady, she text back saying that there is a drain cover under my carpet in the corner of the kitchen which I was never aware of in the 2 years I have been here.
My ex partner who lives local came rushing down, pulled the corner of the carpet up to find a large concrete manhole cover leaking sewage water. I immediately contacted Southern Water and they said someone will be out later in the evening.
Southern Water rang again and confirmed that they were busy, we said we were going to get rods to see if we could unblock it ourselves because it would get worse.
He unscrewed it then we saw that the skirting board had been fitted on top of it so we had to rip that of to get cover off. The cover was heavy and we had to wedge screwdrivers underneath. He then dropped it as it was so heavy and suffered splash back
(probably too much information lol)When it was opened we could see there was toilet tissue in it confirming it was sewage. I know the risks of what goes down my sink and toilet etc and I am cautious of this so I was a bit shocked as to how this was caused?
I later had it confirmed by Southern Water that the drain is shared with my neighbours next door who live in a separate house and my upstairs neighbour. So I effectively had mine and everyone elses faeces flooding in my kitchen!
I wrapped my arm up with bin bags and tried to get the tissue out but nothing was happening. We contacted a friend who had drain rods and used 27ft of them to unblock it which would of gone right out to front garden/street - nothing happened! We tried to push them through the other hole facing towards my door and it bubbled up with a horrendous smell (causing us to throw up!) behind the wall in my neighbors porch which sounded like it was bubbling up through their drain - nothing happened!
We then ripped the carpet up and got it outside quickly!
We then discovered that there was a small round access point in my front garden under the gravel. We plugged it with less than 1metre of rod and everything disappeared! Yes, we did cheer!
My landlady came to inspect yesterday and said that 3 years ago there was a problem with the drain in my porch and she had to pay a few thousand to a local company to attach it to the drain in my kitchen. She stated that they obviously didn't reseal the drain properly. We asked her if she would replace the carpet ASAP she said it would take her a few weeks but she would replace the whole of the kitchen carpet. I later received a text off her to say that she would only replace the 'missing bit of carpet' as it would be quicker and more convenient for her! Am I right in thinking that she will need to get professional cleaners in and replace the whole carpet that had received splashes and us walking around on it etc. I have bleached most of the concrete floor but I still don't trust that it is gone and my 3 year old plays on the kitchen floor! Also, the water went under chipboard cupboard under sink, surely this would also need to be gone? including the skirting boards?
Please can someone advise me what to do ?
Sorry for the lengthy post, it's actually made me feel better typing it all out lol...
0
Comments
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Ooh sympathies. Whilst this is a building type issue, you seem to have solved that bit of it - well done for that. As regards getting it sorted by landlord/lady, you might be better posting on the house buying/selling/renting forum.0
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I'd be looking for a new landlady!
What you think is toilet paper is probably flushable bum wipes. TBH they should be outlawed. They are the biggest problems in drains in the UK at the moment. If you are using the, don't flush them down the loo. Although they are classed as 'flushable' they don't disintegrate and clog up the whole system!Eat vegetables and fear no creditors, rather than eat duck and hide.0 -
I'd be looking for a new landlady!
What you think is toilet paper is probably flushable bum wipes. TBH they should be outlawed. They are the biggest problems in drains in the UK at the moment. If you are using the, don't flush them down the loo. Although they are classed as 'flushable' they don't disintegrate and clog up the whole system!
haha you're not the only one to say about finding a new landlady! Yes, I agree and I know not to send them down the toilet. I can't point fingers as all 3 of us are responsible as it is a shared drain.....and in my kitchen 0
will do 
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