Blocked drains

[m0t]

Woke up this morning to the lovely sight of water creeping up our toilet bowl and overflowing outside where the sink runs into the drains. I lifted the manhole and the inspection chamber was filled with water, the next chamber along was flowing freely. I called Thames Water and they promised to send someone out within 8 hours. Mentioned it to my sister who revealed that the brother in law builds drains as part of his job and has a set of rods. He managed to unblock everything but said there were a couple of issues that caused the problem and will do again:

1. Where the pipe from the first inspection chamber joins the second it narrows from 4" to 2". It serves two houses so is too small. What if anything can be done about this?

2. All the properties gutters empty into this drain as well so it carries a lot of water, apparently this isn't right either?

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

4" to 2" is very odd, no-one in their right mind would downsize a drain like that, 2" has never been used in drainage anyway. Odd, only option would be to dig it up and replace the affected section.

Depending on age of property, rainwater into foul drainage (known as combined system) was widely used until circa 1950's. Can still be done today under exceptional circumstances, with Building Control Officer's approval.

 

[m0t]

Property is 1930s so that would explain that.

Presumably it would be a Thames water responsibility to fix the drain since it is shared? Any idea if they will do it, I'm a bit worried about coming home one day to find my bathroom flooded...

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

1930's were commonly on combined drainage, for the house roof's at least. (Road drainage may have a separate sewer.)

If it's a shared drain it's Thames responsibility, although I don't know how keen they'll be to do anything unless it becomes a regular problem. Ask for them to come and look at it and take it from there. If there is a danger of internal flooding they may be more proactive about getting it fixed.