Free drainage guttering service

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Tetra
Tetra Posts: 27 Forumite
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The houses, about 10, on my terrace deliver the rain that falls onto their roofs into my gutters (being the lowest house) and then it falls through pipes I must maintain into drains for which I am responsible.

Should I charge United Utilities for this service and how?

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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 4,176 Forumite
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    No they charge you for the benefit of taking it off your hands
  • Tetra
    Tetra Posts: 27 Forumite
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    _shel wrote: »
    No they charge you for the benefit of taking it off your hands

    and I should charge United Utilities for taking taking drainage water from my neighbours who pay United Utilities for my service?
  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,037 Forumite
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    Tetra wrote: »
    The houses, about 10, on my terrace deliver the rain that falls onto their roofs into my gutters (being the lowest house) and then it falls through pipes I must maintain into drains for which I am responsible.

    Should I charge United Utilities for this service and how?


    Under recent changes the water company are responsible for shared drains(used by more than one property) See:


    https://www.unitedutilities.com/help-and-support/wastewater-services/sewers-and-drains-explained/

    What United Utilities is responsible for: the big public sewers that take sewage and rainwater run-off to our wastewater treatment works (as well as the pipes from the boundary of your property up to where they connect into the public sewer). Shared drains where several properties' drains meet together before they join the public sewer are also our responsibility to maintain -


    Your drain is clearly shared and thus not your responsibility.
  • D_M_E
    D_M_E Posts: 3,008 Forumite
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    Think OP means should they charge for all the guttering and downpipes which funnel the water into the drains.
  • Tetra
    Tetra Posts: 27 Forumite
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    So when the gutter is overflowing owing to debris (how does it get there?), I should require United Utilities to clean it before the water seeps into my walls?
  • System
    System Posts: 178,094 Community Admin
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    Tetra wrote: »
    So when the gutter is overflowing owing to debris (how does it get there?), I should require United Utilities to clean it before the water seeps into my walls?

    I used to own a property that sat under the shadow of 3 by 150ft Wellingtonia trees. Emptying the gutters twice a year was very much my problem. Needles falling from the trees which blocked the surface water drains was something that Severn Trent dealt with.

    I am pretty sure (but happy to be proved wrong) that the cost of maintaining shared guttering/downpipes is something that should be covered in property deeds. That said, getting neighbours to agree anything, even if it is in the Deeds, can prove tricky; eg, sharing the cost of re-tarmacing an unadopted road.

    By all means send a bill to United Utilities but I doubt that you will get a cheque back in return.
  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,037 Forumite
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    The original post referred to rain going into drains that the OP thought was his responsibility to maintain; the drains are clearly shared and thus the responsibility of the Water Company



    The debris in the gutter is another problem and that is obviously not the water company's responsibility. If the other occupants won't clear their gutter of debris, I would insert a 'sieve' - that blocks debris but allows water through - into the gutter at the boundary of the property.


    That passes the buck to property number 9 - who can insert a similar sieve. Then 8-7-6 etc.
  • bertiewhite
    bertiewhite Posts: 1,904 Forumite
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    The guttering also prevents rain from running down the side of your house and causing water ingress into it's fabric, doesn't it?
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