Guttering Into Sewage System?

My guttering currently runs from the downpipe into a soakaway which doesn't seem to be able to handle the volume of water in heavy downpours. So I'm thinking about connecting the downpipe into the foul water system.



As you can see, the pipe on the left is the downpipe and I want to connect it to the drain on the right of the picture.

Is it ok to do this?

its not normally permitted to drain surface water into the foul drain.

alastairreid said:

its not normally permitted to drain surface water into the foul drain.

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Doesn't it depend on the age of the property?

When I built my extension, I recieved documents from the planning office telling me to ensure that my foul water and rain water drainage was seperate.

When they were told the age of the property (1932) then apparantly it was fine to have everything running into the same sewer.

its illegal unless theres a positive system or you call your local water board and they say ok but thats not very likely as your ground conditions are ok for soakaways as you currently have one.dig it out and renew or divert and dig a new one.

As Chukka63; any new connection of surface water to the foul drain system will contravene local by-laws without permission, even if that’s your current arrangement. You could try contacting your local water authority & see if they will give you permission but that’s unlikely if you already have soak away drainage, even if it’s not working! If they do allow it, it's also likely to increase your sewage charge unless your already paying when you shouldn't be!

I would advise against “just doing it”; if you get found out the resulting fines can be high & you will still need a new soak away. Provision of a soak away is also controlled Building Work &, strictly speaking, needs a Building Regs submission & certification; but whatever you do at least make sure it’s B Regs. compliant.

There are such things as combined systems (foul and storm) but these are usually associated with terraced housing or areas with dense clay sub-soil.