private sewer pipe blocked

taxman · 29 Apr 2010

Hi, first time on here.

I am at the end of a private sewer pipe covering 5 properties, including my own.

Despite various requests and polite letters, the pipe is constantly being blocked by my neighbours cotton buds, sanitary products and once a tea-towel.

Where would I would stand on fitting a grill of wide hole "chicken-wire" across the pipe where it joins mine, thereby stopping anything too big, coming through?

Alternatively do I have any legal recourse in billing my neighbours for unblocking?

Agile · 29 Apr 2010

Depending on when it was built it may be unblockable by the local water authority. See a recent thread about this.

The cost of unblocking should be shared by those above the blockage.

You could potentially take them to court if they fail to contribute.

You dont make it very clear where you expect to fit filters.

Tony

ianniann · 29 Apr 2010

Yes, the law is very clear on this situation. The handful of properties served by these private stretches of pipe until it meets the public main are jointly liable for blockages. Often the person most affected will stump up for a one-off, but you are perfectly entitled to charge your neighbours for their share and would easily win a small claims case for the money. If you want to try a different route, the council will often clear these cases and bill for it, and then they have a bit more clout to extract the money.

Agile · 29 Apr 2010

Some properties are maintainable by the water authority, but I think this is only when built before 1936.

It may depend on the diameter too.

Mine built in 1926 is covered. But the neighbour's solicitor spent £1000 of her money before contacting me so that I could out him right!

Tony

D_Hailsham · 29 Apr 2010

taxman said:
I am at the end of a private sewer pipe covering 5 properties, including my own.

Not quite clear which end you are. Are you the first house (nearest the main sewer) or the last house?

Alternatively do I have any legal recourse in billing my neighbours for unblocking?

There will be something in the deeds of your house about the rights of each owner to send their waste down the private sewer and responsibility for maintenance.

Read this Private Sewers.

This might be helpful as well.

Agile · 30 Apr 2010

D_Hailsham said:
Not quite clear which end you are. Are you the first house (nearest the main sewer) or the last house?

Unfortunately thats not clear either!

The "first" house can be construed as being closest to or furthest away from the sewer.

Tony

taxman · 30 Apr 2010

I am the last house, nearest the main sewer. All sewerage from my 4 neighbours, flows in my direction before entering the main sewer.

Hope this clears it up!

Agile · 30 Apr 2010

We now know where you are located!

Was it built before 1936?

What have you done to ask the water authority who they "think" is responsible for clearing when blocked.

If its the householders responsibility there is a very good argument that IF the blockage is caused by certain people putting unsuitable things in the drain then the entire cost of unblocking should rest with them.

Tony

taxman · 30 Apr 2010

Agile said:
We now know where you are located!

Was it built before 1936?

What have you done to ask the water authority who they "think" is responsible for clearing when blocked.

If its the householders responsibility there is a very good argument that IF the blockage is caused by certain people putting unsuitable things in the drain then the entire cost of unblocking should rest with them.

Tony

Only built in the 1960's i'm afraid.

The water authority have stated that they believe there to be shared responsibility and would help to bill each household individually for any work I have to carry out.

They also suggested a CCTV inspection might be a good idea to rule out any issues with the pipe itself.

Agile · 30 Apr 2010

In that case I totally agree with their advice and you are very lucky that they are being so helpful over the question of billing.

If you are convinced that it is getting blocked because of the actions of just one house then you could write to everyone explaining the situation and asking everyone not to put anything down the drain which is unsuitable.

Tony

D_Hailsham · 30 Apr 2010

Agile said:
D_Hailsham said:

Not quite clear which end you are. Are you the first house (nearest the main sewer) or the last house?

Click to expand...

Unfortunately that's not clear either! The "first" house can be construed as being closest to or furthest away from the sewer.

I did define the first house as nearest the main (i.e public) sewer.

taxman said:
I am the last house, nearest the main sewer.

Then, according to my definition. you are the first house

Think of the private sewer as a cul-de-sac off the main sewer. The first house in a cul-de-sac is the one nearest the main road, not the one at the far end.

However that's just semantics, it does not extract you from the smelly stuff.

Roll on 2011.

taxman · 30 Apr 2010

I have already done the letters twice to no avail.

Maybe if they all go on holiday at different times I will be able track down the culprit by a process of elimination!

Until then I will get the CCTV done and start billing each of my neighbours for 20% of the cost of future unblocking.

Agile · 30 Apr 2010

As you seem to be a practically minded fellow you might want to do a simple test for damage which would cause a blockage to build up.

CCTV surveys cost about £250 a time!

If you buy some drainage rods and a rubber 4" disc ( sometimes sold in a pack at about £12 upwards ) and then push it slowly up or down the drain then if there is any significant blockage or problem such as roots or a cracked pipe then it can often be felt.

Tony

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private sewer pipe blocked

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