gutter down pipe and soil pipe

Joined
13 Mar 2013
Messages
123
Reaction score
0
Location
Bedfordshire
Country
United Kingdom
I have a problem whereby my 1920’s built end terrace house has a single Down pipe from the gutters that empties via a gully into an inspection chamber (if that the right word, its the area covered by the manhole cover), then into the main under the road. This is actually our next door neighbours main drain i.e. both waste water, gutters and sewage.

My waste water and sewage goes into a separate main that starts at the rear of my property and leads off in a different direction, it is only my gutters that goes into the neighbours main.

The problem is that our neighbours underground pipes / inspection chamber is always blocking up (Frequently stinks!) this prevents our gutter water flowing freely and thus it backs up and overflows all over the our side alleyway. I was told by a previous house owner is was a problem with the main sewer line in the road but Thames water seem reluctant to do anything about!

my question then, is can I re-route the gutter water to our gully that carries the kitchen and bathroom water away - see photo. The down pipe is approx 12 feet from the kitchen & bathroom gully.
457FDDDE-E742-4857-B274-0137BD667A52.jpeg
457FDDDE-E742-4857-B274-0137BD667A52.jpeg
 
Sponsored Links
The problem is that our neighbours underground pipes / inspection chamber is always blocking up (Frequently stinks!) this prevents our gutter water flowing freely and thus it backs up and overflows all over the our side alleyway. I was told by a previous house owner is was a problem with the main sewer line in the road but Thames water seem reluctant to do anything about!

I would say that a neighbouring property has connected a drainage line to the storm drain down the line which is causing problems. which leads to backing up and overflowing. You need TW to investigate.

Andy
 
Last edited:
my question then, is can I re-route the gutter water to our gully that carries the kitchen and bathroom water away - see photo. The down pipe is approx 12 feet from the kitchen & bathroom gully.

The two systems are separated for a reason, the sewage discharge undergoes a lot of expensive treatment, the rainwater treatment is minimal or not at all. You should pester TW and insist they sort it out, that is what you are paying for in your water rates. There should not be much smell, if it is only rainwater backing up - might your neighbour be discharging something other than rainwater down there?
 
Sponsored Links
everything goes into the same drain. Our neighbours drains, waste and sewage as well as our rainwater goes into the same inspection chamber, via different drain pipework, obviously! it is an old system.

I know that these days sewage goes into a separate chamber and main, but our 1920’s road only seems to have the one big main pipe which everything goes into.

our house, being at the highest point in the street seems to be the point at which one main circuit starts and another ends, because our waste and sewage goes into a chamber (at the rear of the house) that leads off in the opposite direction to our neighbours whilst our neighbours is at the front.
 
That's not what you said in your first post.

Andy

apologies if my first post was unclear, not being a professional it can be difficult to explain things with clarity, especially when you don’t know the correct terminology:(
 
1920's build is likely to have a Combined system, rainwater and foul into the same sewer. Completely separate systems didn't come about until later. Given it all appears to go into the sewer, albeit via different routes, I'd reroute your downpipe as you describe, and hopefully that will stop the issue.

Water Companies are often well aware of issues with the system, the problem is, they dont like spending money and fixing anything unless they have to.
 
1920's build is likely to have a Combined system, rainwater and foul into the same sewer. Completely separate systems didn't come about until later. Given it all appears to go into the sewer, albeit via different routes, I'd reroute your downpipe as you describe, and hopefully that will stop the issue.

Water Companies are often well aware of issues with the system, the problem is, they dont like spending money and fixing anything unless they have to.

For the OP - any shared section of pipe is generally the responsibility of the water company to maintain and repair. If the blockage was in the shared section, just call them, rather than independent operator to fix it. It is your responsibility up to the point where they become shared.
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Sponsored Links
Back
Top