Help/advice on water constantly flowing from house into drains.

[Mottie]

I hope this is in the right section. I’ve had problems with my drains (we have a partial collapse between the manhole and house number 6 (We are number 7 in the drawing. I have been checking them on a regular basis which led me to notice a problem with one of my neighbours. If you look at the attached drawing, I can see a decent fresh water flow from drain pipe 'A' into the manhole. It’s equivalent to what you would expect if you pulled the plug out of the sink, so much more than a trickle. I've seen this every time I’ve checked the drain since Christmas Day. Today I decided to track it down by checking water meters in the street. The meter to house number 1 in the diagram was spinning like a good 'un. I turned it off and within a minute it stopped. Turned it back on and it started turning and the flow was back going into the manhole. I knocked on the old dears door and told her. She's well into her 80’s and all alone and didn’t know what to do. I offered to have a look, checked the toilet expecting the overflow but it wasn’t that - the overflow didn’t even go to the drains in any case. The cistern wasn’t continually running and none of the taps in the bathroom or kitchen were running. I filled the sink, turned the water off and got her to pull the plug out and checked the drain just to confirm it was her house that was letting water and it definitely was. Anyway, I turned the water back on and the meter wasn’t moving. Taps were working but no more leaks! I told her I'd check again in a few days to confirm it was still all good. If not, I don’t know what to do - I seemed to have lumbered myself here!

Any suggestion as to what it could be?

 

[gas112]

leave the stop tap outside on turn one inside off see what happens ie water still flowing down drain

 

[Mottie]

Thanks. Yeah, I’ll have to try that if it starts again but I can’t work out how water could be getting into the drain pipe other than through the sinks, bath or toilet.

 

[gas112]

Thanks. Yeah, I’ll have to try that if it starts again but I can’t work out how water could be getting into the drain pipe other than through the sinks, bath or toilet.

yep sounds a strange one especially with it stopping after you had turned water on and off and toilet overflow not going into pan . Sometimes house`s had a second supply branched off for outside tap /outside toilet .
Being on a meter the water board should be flagging it if its been going for 6 months(2 readings) they will allow the first big bill but want repairs done for next one otherwise they pay