Solicitors query - 'surface water does not drain to public sewer'

jellypigs

Ah, seems I'm paying a surface drainage standing charge with the water company so...

jellypigs

@grumpy_chap

I have drainpipes front and back that go into.. A drain...! Surely thats it?

jellypigs

@MikeJXE Ah, hold on... We are paying it...  

Grumpy_chap

jellypigs said:

@grumpy_chap

I have drainpipes front and back that go into.. A drain...! Surely thats it?

It may not be all that simple.
Do the drains that the down pipes connect to also have the waste water (toilets, bathroom, kitchen waste) connected to the same drain?

By "drain" do you mean a gulley cover or a manhole?

Here is an example:
In the picture, there is a down pipe from the roof of the bay window.  Does that discharge to the manhole in the path?
Does the manhole also have toilet waste in it?


That is what you are looking to check for your house.
For every down pipe (though they probably all do the same thing unless there have been any alterations).

jellypigs

Oh wow haha have I somehow given our address away? Thats next door so that manhole isn't on our property but we've got the same kind of drainpipe next to our bay window, and one at the back door too... 

Honestly I have no idea where they go? Always just assumed it was all connected to the mains, never really thought about it?

I know for our house, access to sewer is on next doors driveway that we have right of access to. So towards the back end of the house. I only know this because when we first moved in my husband had a habit of putting toilet wipes down there and we had to call someone out regularly until he agreed to stop (!) and thats where they always went to unclog haha! 

jellypigs

I called anglian water who recommended asking digdat but it looks like you have to pay, drat.

Grumpy_chap

jellypigs said:

Oh wow haha have I somehow given our address away? Thats next door so that manhole isn't on our property but we've got the same kind of drainpipe next to our bay window, and one at the back door too... 

Honestly I have no idea where they go? Always just assumed it was all connected to the mains, never really thought about it?

I know for our house, access to sewer is on next doors driveway that we have right of access to. So towards the back end of the house. I only know this because when we first moved in my husband had a habit of putting toilet wipes down there and we had to call someone out regularly until he agreed to stop (!) and thats where they always went to unclog haha! 

I recognised the location from the map.  Sorry - did not mean to spook you.  (I did send you a PM.)

So, you have a down pipe at the side of the property at the front.
And similar at the rear.
And a manhole in the driveway next door.

Do you, or your husband, or the neighbour know whether the downpipes connect to that manhole (as well as the toilet waste which you do know)?
If you don't know, you may be able to confirm very easily by lifting the manhole.  If in doubt, pour some water down the down pipes (on a dry day - haha) and you will see the flow come to the same manhole.

I suspect all the water from the down pipes and the toilets goes to that same drain.

If that is confirmed, I will be happy to draft you a response to close this out.

jellypigs

I think so! We had an extension done in 2018 and the builder moved the drain/downpipe at the back of the house. I think they must, because our builder had a good look around that manhole! I might ask him..

mexican_dave

Just to point out these days the Water Authorities are looking to put rainwater into the ground (via a soak-away) so it disperses into the water table. They also want driveways, hard standings, etc (surface water) prevented from running off into the road gullies, but diverted to a soak-away, all to stop rivers overflowing, flooding etc. and to stop sewage works being inundated. But the least said about Water Companies on that score the better!

user1977

Grumpy_chap said:

jellypigs said:

Oh wow haha have I somehow given our address away? Thats next door so that manhole isn't on our property but we've got the same kind of drainpipe next to our bay window, and one at the back door too... 

Honestly I have no idea where they go? Always just assumed it was all connected to the mains, never really thought about it?

I know for our house, access to sewer is on next doors driveway that we have right of access to. So towards the back end of the house. I only know this because when we first moved in my husband had a habit of putting toilet wipes down there and we had to call someone out regularly until he agreed to stop (!) and thats where they always went to unclog haha! 

I recognised the location from the map.

Plus there's a rather more obvious clue in the map...