Huge issue with building regulations + manhole covers. Please help

[frutbunn]

I’m hoping to hear back from the water company tomorrow re if it’s a public sewer. The lady I spoke to today said she couldn’t see anything ‘public’ on their map ... there are 2 manholes next to each other but I have no access now and I can’t remember whether anything flowed there from my neighbours ...

Even if there were no manholes you still require permission to build over a public sewer, but these "new" sewers are mostly unplotted , more often than not they only come to light when the BCO comes on site to inspect the foundation excavation.

It was built in Summer 2012 ...

No it wasn't the foundations were commenced in early 2011!!! I'm a BCO, if I was dealing with it I would accept whatever date you put on the form.

The person I spoke to though categorically said none would have been required or else they wouldn’t have been able to carry out the work which is what baffles me. She sounded sincere ...

Illegal work gets carried out all the time, her comment is a little naïve.

 

[Clare_88]

Even if there were no manholes you still require permission to build over a public sewer, but these "new" sewers are mostly unplotted , more often than not they only come to light when the BCO comes on site to inspect the foundation excavation.

No it wasn't the foundations were commenced in early 2011!!! I'm a BCO, if I was dealing with it I would accept whatever date you put on the form.

Illegal work gets carried out all the time, her comment is a little naïve.

Heard back from sewer / water company and they said they don't have anything showing on their plans as they've never been called out yet?? As though no record exists. They said I could have a local drainage firm take a look but obviously I didn't mention the extension or the manhole covers.

Would a BCO sign off be enough for when I come to move house or would the problem arise all over again? And would a BCO from the council and an independent BCO have the same 'approach' ?

Also I forgot to mention, just outside the orangery there are 2 small inspection chambers - one says water and one says Osmadrain. Don't know if that sheds any light as to whether I have a public sewer or not!

 

[Ian H]

Water will be your stoptap, Osma is a manufacturer of drainage pipes and fittings.

 

[frutbunn]

Heard back from sewer / water company and they said they don't have anything showing on their plans as they've never been called out yet?? As though no record exists. They said I could have a local drainage firm take a look but obviously I didn't mention the extension or the manhole covers.

The records won't exist, they were originally installed as private drains, however there was a change in legislation in 2011 whereby any drain serving more than one property is now classed as a public sewer, to plot all these is a mammoth task, usually they only come to light when building control flag it up or occasionally some of the better plan drawers take the trouble to investigate on their initial survey and try and resolve it before the work commences. Any work prior to that date, it would have been classed as a private drain and would only have been dealt with solely under B regs and building over and internal chambers would not have been a problem subject to certain criteria. All this assumes your drain is served by more than one property of course.

Would a BCO sign off be enough for when I come to move house or would the problem arise all over again? And would a BCO from the council and an independent BCO have the same 'approach' ?

You can't use a private inspector for a Reg. Cert.
If he was aware of the drain/chamber he would raise the issue, if the declared date of construction was after 2011 then he would forward this to the WA to deal with, if the declared date was pre 2011 then he would deal with it solely under B Regs as this was the legislation applicable at the time of construction.

Also I forgot to mention, just outside the orangery there are 2 small inspection chambers - one says water and one says Osmadrain. Don't know if that sheds any light as to whether I have a public sewer or not!

Osma are a drainage manufacturer, water I assume is a stop cock?

Lift the Osma cover and you will be able to see the direction etc of the drains and you may be able to determine which property(s) drain into it and whether it drains flows from or to the orangery.

 

[Clare_88]

Lift the Osma cover and you will be able to see the direction etc of the drains and you may be able to determine which property(s) drain into it and whether it drains flows from or to the orangery.

I lifted the Osma. Give or take a few degrees the pipe appears to be facing towards my neighbour. I've also gone a little OTT and plotted all the manholes e.t.c. I could find nearby. Does that map make it seem likely mine is a private drain and my neighbour's is the shared sewer? Mine is the yellow / green property (and where I 'think' the manholes would be located in the orangery).

Any work prior to that date, it would have been classed as a private drain and would only have been dealt with solely under B regs and building over and internal chambers would not have been a problem subject to certain criteria.

If mine is a private drain ... PRE Jul 2011 ... would a BCO accept the manholes had been covered or would they expect me to dig down, locate the manholes and create internal access / seal?

If a private drain POST Jul 2011 ... what action would the WA take?

if the declared date was pre 2011 then he would deal with it solely under B Regs as this was the legislation applicable at the time of construction.

For regularisation, what documents - if any - would the BCO ask for? And what happens if I don't have them?

Literally can't thank you enough for answering all these questions. I'll never walk into anything blind again!

 

[Ian H]

Looking at that I’d guess they would run left to right from your house into the footpath and that they are private drains.

Just a guess though.

 

[Clare_88]

Looking at that I’d guess they would run left to right from your house into the footpath and that they are private drains.

Just a guess though.

It is a private drain. Managed to check yesterday

Will a BCO doing a regularisation accept having an internal chamber in my orangery then?

 

[frutbunn]

If its private then it will be dealt with purely under B Regs, internal chambers are acceptable providing they are fitted with screw down seaked covers.

Please note though you also have to show compliance of all applicable Regs, this may involve opening up and/or altering some of the work. Strictly speaking you should provide drawings of the original work although we never bothered at the last 3 LA's I worked, nor have any of the LA's where I've dealt with on any of these as a "consultant" (sounds posher than guvvy job!).

If you have any photos of the work in progress this may negate having to open up some of the work.

 

[mrrusty]

If the manholes are invisible because they have been concreted over, and you have not yet informed BC, then my tactic would just be to forget I knew anything about them and see what happens. It won't change the outcome - if BC want to be pragmatic they will be, and likewise if they want to be arsey.