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Gutter issue

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26 Jun 2025
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Hello all, recently, I was inspecting the guttering and drains in my house, and upon discovery I have a manhole in the driveway. I have lifted this up and there are two pipes: one for the main toilet, and one for the WC toilet.

Fine, that is normal. However, there is a pipe which comes from the roof guttering, comes straight down and goes under the paving. I assumed this would have then gone into the manhole to throw the water there, but it doesn't. As described earlier, there was only two pipes in the manhole and that was for both WC's, not for the rain water.

1754406873876.png

I have got this outside, and I was wondering if the guttering water was being lead there? However, it is blocked from that side, so is it not possible? And if it is possible, should water just flow in the road? I'm worried if its blocked and water is just floating underground???

Thank you.
 
Soakaway ?
Thanks for the suggestion.

So, if you assume its a soakaway, where is the soakaway? Does it derive from the end of the metal or under the driveway? I need to know this as it interrupts with the people who going to come and plan for the driveway.
 
I have a soakaway that is under my front garden about 6ft from the house.It was there when i bought the house and i have no reason to see it but i know that it works well.
My downpipe runs underground for the 6ft distance.
 
it is blocked from that side, so is it not possible?
I can't see what it is, as its a poor image. However, just because the (Aco drain) is blocked, it doesn't mean the pipe it leads to is blocked. It is likely to run into a trapped gulley or collection pit in any case, which in turn is highly likely to be what is blocked and needs cleaning out.
 
I can't see what it is, as its a poor image. However, just because the (Aco drain) is blocked, it doesn't mean the pipe it leads to is blocked. It is likely to run into a trapped gulley or collection pit in any case, which in turn is highly likely to be what is blocked and needs cleaning out.
Thanks for contributing with a helpful post.

My question is that the rain water does not lead to the manhole and I’m thinking it leads to the metal thing identified in the image. However if it is where does the water supposed to go? In the road or somewhere else? Mine looks blocked up and I’m worrying if the driveway people make driveway and delete that metal bit then rain water will have no place to go.
 
My question is that the rain water does not lead to the manhole and I’m thinking it leads to the metal thing identified in the image. However if it is where does the water supposed to go? In the road or somewhere else? Mine looks blocked up and I’m worrying if the driveway people make driveway and delete that metal bit then rain water will have no place to go.
Your storm water and the storm water from the road, may go into the same system yes. That does not mean that because the road drain is blocked (likely at the trap) that your drain is blocked too - no.
 
Sewer is for soil and waste, i.e. toilets sinks, baths, showers etc. Rainwater is sometimes put into a separate sewer system, in your case it looks like it may have been channeled to the road, where it'll flow to the road gullies.

As long as the water is getting away and not making your property wet, I wouldn't worry. You have a right to drain the rainwater to the road if there is a channel there to take it, Highways can do nothing about it and must maintain that facility at their cost.
 
Your storm water and the storm water from the road, may go into the same system yes. That does not mean that because the road drain is blocked (likely at the trap) that your drain is blocked too - no.
Thank you

But the rainwater doesn’t not lead to any manhole and i think it leads to the metal, highlighted in the picture, and it supposedly needs to drain off to the road but at the end of the metal bit, it has been capped and block off.

So where do you think the rain water is going to as the pipe from the gutter disappears off under the paving and then I think goes to the metal

Or am I missing something?
 
Sewer is for soil and waste, i.e. toilets sinks, baths, showers etc. Rainwater is sometimes put into a separate sewer system, in your case it looks like it may have been channeled to the road, where it'll flow to the road gullies
What I think to but it looks capped of at the end and during rain nothing comes out? I’m sure it doesn’t lead to the manhole because I have checked by pouring water inside the gutters and no water came out the manhole.
 

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