Soakaway - how do you tell if you've got one?

JamesA

Our drive slopes away from the road and has a small drain grill about 6 foot from the garage door.

Are there any rules you can follow to work out if you've got a soakaway?

The house was built in around 1990 I think.

Chukka63 · Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 1:13 pm Post Subject:

most houses built about that time would have a soakaway.tracing it would be a bit more tricky.but if/when you do,plot its position on a piece of paper in relation to your house and send it off to the water board and if no one has done this you use to get a £50.00 credit on your water bill.it was a while back since ive done it so they may have changed it,what with everyone tightening there belts

Hugh Jaleak · Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:53 pm Post Subject:

If you can locate a surface water inspection chamber somewhere downstream of this drain then run some water from a hose into the drain and see if it runs into the chamber. Dye test is foolproof way of telling but water test should tell you what you need to know.

Nige F · Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 11:42 pm Post Subject:

Chukka63 wrote:

most houses built about that time would have a soakaway.tracing it would be a bit more tricky.but if/when you do,plot its position on a piece of paper in relation to your house and send it off to the water board and if no one has done this you use to get a £50.00 credit on your water bill.it was a while back since ive done it so they may have changed it,what with everyone tightening there belts

don`t get a credit from Southern Water , just a standard letter saying that their records say you aint got a soakaway. THEN you ring them up and rip the p**s

Well, I did cuz I know the area I moved to recently- used to work opposite- and there has never been a surfaced road here , let alone surface water sewer.

Guess what . the guy on the computer suddenly comes up with accurate records ON his computer

Saves me about £20 a year FOREVER

JamesA · Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 9:19 am Post Subject:

It's Anglian water. I've applied using their web page.

In theory they could send an inspector out.
I'm assuming they won't as that'll cost them a lot more than just paying me the rebate.

JamesA · Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:41 am Post Subject:

Anglian Water have updated my account, the next day

You can't argue with service like that!

Nige F · Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 7:01 pm Post Subject:

Anglian 1 Southern 0

JamesA · Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:30 am Post Subject:

Of course some would say they've charged me £105 for 3 years of service they haven't provided and it should be backdated.

I don't want to push though it in case they start getting difficult.

Hugh Jaleak · Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 3:33 pm Post Subject:

They often havent a clue where half their network runs, I know from 1st hand experience. I would keep stummm now, before they decide your gully goes into a sewer they didnt know about!