Drain filling up with water!!

[pebbles36]

Hi, just noticed tonight that the small drain by the side of my house is over flowing with water and I went to empty the water and cleaned the debris out and came back 10 mins later and it had filled up again with water and its been doing it all evening and just overflowing. Can anyone please help me on this with any ideas. Getting worried its going to cost me a lot of money to repair!
Thankyou

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Sounds like you have a blockage. If you dont having anything discharging into that drain, i.e. a sink or washing machine, then good chance the sewer is blocked and the water is finding it's own level, and escaping from the drain.

Really need to open some manhole covers, if the chamber(s) are full then the problem is in the sewer. Now the technical bit! If the drain is question only serves your property, it's your responsibility, but if the neighbours also use it then it's the Water Authority's job. Are you with Anglian Water for sewerage?

 

[pebbles36]

Its just a soakaway for the gutter down pipe, yes i think it just serves my property but just realised that the manhole cover is in my neighbours garden. Yes with Anglian Water. Thankyou for replying back

 

[Whitespirit66]

Poss blocked with leaves or moss in pipe between gully and 1st inspection chamber.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

If it's for the guttering, and it's not raining, then shouldn't be any water going into to overflow out of it!

Assuming the weather is not drastically different from here in Northants then methinks you have a problem. Can you check with neighbour if the manhole is full?

 

[Madrab]

Its just a soakaway for the gutter down pipe

You mention it's a soakaway? If so then it wouldn't be connected to the drains/sewer or have I not grasped that correctly? It's just a soakaway is in essence a hole with gravel/rubble in it that allows the water to soak away into the surrounding ground.

 

[pebbles36]

Yes no water goes into apart from the rainwater from the gutter. As I am in the next county to you it's been lovely today so was surprised to see my drain overflowing. My neighbour has just gone on holiday today and the manhole cover is bang in the middle of her front garden about 10ft away, was thinking if it would be ok to enter her garden and lift up the manhole cover? Sorry Madrab it is connected to a drain, I have cleaned out all the moss and leaves from the drain and its still filling up rapidly, like Whitespirit said it could possibly be blocked between the manhole cover and the drain?

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Really need to ascertain where the water is coming from, I presume at present, it's not from the roof! I suspect the sewer is blocked and it's backing up from there. Every time water is discharged to the drain then it needs to go somewhere and will naturally find it's own level, if this gulley is the lowest point before the blockage then out it comes.... If you're not using any water e.g. washing machine then could be coming from the neighbours, not pleasant but would indicate a shared sewer. Is the neighbours garden (and cover) higher than your gulley?

Provided the sewer is shared, it should be AW's remit, telephone 08457 145145 and they'll get someone out to look. If it's private, and you're in the top end of Bedfordshire then try these: http://www.aqua-jetmaintenanceservices.co.uk/ Worked with them at times in a previous job, charges used to be reasonable.

 

[pebbles36]

I did turn of the stopcock to the house and checked it and was still filling up with water even though it just takes rainwater away but wanted to be sure. The garden is about the same level as mine but it looks like a pretty big manhole cover protruding out the garden. I am in Ampthill, thanks for the numbers, might try AW first and go from there.