Need Some Advice reg 225mm Public Sewers in my property

[haringey_sash_w]

Fascinating thread. The camera might have been the start? The drain blockage people use them all the time now. Anyway interested to hear how this pans out. Would have thought 3.3 metre deep would mean this is too deep to dig out anyway - never seen them dig down that far for any repairs before... Best of luck

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Yes camera and an above ground tracing survey rather than digging a bloody great hole!

 

[Scorpi]

Right another update.

Drainage company that STW recommended came down today, the chap couldnt find manholes in mine or neighbouring properties.

Couldnt put a camera down said drain due to traffic and parked cars.

But he did open it up, and insisted it does not go through my property, they will write up a report and contact severn trent water to update there maps. He said fouls does not exist there at all and the surface drain goes though my neighbours not mine.

A lot of relief, I await the report and will then ask STW myself and inform my architects.

Amazing that there plans could be so wrong.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Well they were drawn about 100 or so years ago very often when the drain was first built, then after multiple copies along the lines and various buildings get built here or there things get muddied. You should end up with a plan showing the route. You can inform you neighbour they have a sewer running under their patio now!

 

[Scorpi]

This thing is not resolved much to my ire, I am loosing patience with STW.

They admitted theyre records were wrong regarding 2x225mm pipes running underground the side of my property.

They then instructed me to confirm internal drainage layout at the rear my property, I have no manholes so I couldnt dig it all up so they said check neighbours. One of my neighbours manholes (his own private one made for flows from his property) flows to the rear of my garden at an angle.

Now they want me to investigate this by digging up my rear garden to find a pipe or putting a camera down the neighbours pipe. Quite frankly I am not going to put a camera down there as I have disturbed this neighbour on multiple occasions and I do not intend to keep digging up until I find holes.

My side extension would be 7 metres away from where the neighbours pipe intercepts my rear garden, and it is angling towards my rear fence not front of my house.

This is the wording of there email;

"
As this shows the pipes from 64 go onto your property, a bit more investigation is needed, either by trial dig or another CCTV survey on that pipe, to confirm where it goes, and if it meets any other sewer within your property.

If that pipes just meets a pipe from your house, and is more than 3m away from any proposed build at the closest point, then we do not need anything more.

However, if it is within 3m of your build, or it shows another public (shared) sewer that is within 3m, then you need to submit a Build over/Build close application before any building work starts.

"

I am waiting for a call back, I just feel theyre using me to find where there sewers are. Can I just say no and carry on with the build as I dont see how that pipe will go to front of my property.

 

[Scorpi]

Well the lady I was dealing with, rang back .

She said I wouldnt need any BOA for the side extension. We were planning to demolish the existing rear extension and do a new one, she said when you do that just let us know how far from the downpipe the drain goes down to.

So a bit better now.

 

[thomp1983]

Unfortunately you can't just ignore what there asking, the first thing your building officer will do is confirm with stw that there happy with your build so you won't be able to get it signed off unless you come to an agreement with them.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

I am waiting for a call back, I just feel theyre using me to find where there sewers are. Can I just say no and carry on with the build as I dont see how that pipe will go to front of my property.

Unfortunately your water company is not alone in that stance, they are all the same with the onus being on the applicant to map any drains on their property. But they have you over a barrel, no confirmation of drains the application can be processed. But sounds like it's resolved now anyway.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

She said I wouldnt need any BOA for the side extension.

Try and get that in writing to satisy BC if they ask.

 

[Scorpi]

Yes, she has just confirmed in an email that no BOA is needed for the side extension. This is the large extension and is the part that would add value to the house and allow me to have 4 extra rooms and a bathroom. So main problem solved.

The rear extension just involves knocking down existing conservatory and joining existing kitchen extension to make one continous extension at rear at house with 3.5M max depth from rear of main house.

For the rear extension, she wants the exact location from the "possible public sewer at the rear of the garden".

I dont see a problem with this, we have to dig new foundations anyway so finding this run of foul drain from the main downpipe shouldnt be a problem.

Hopefully if we trace from existing rodding eye and start digging we will find it.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

And look how much you know about drains now compared to a month ago.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Why didn't they do a camera survey from an external soil stack?

Andy

 

[Scorpi]

Theres a rodding eye right at the back of my property where the rear extension will go, I plan on getting a CCTV survey of that done.

Im hoping that will help us determine where it goes into the sewer. If the sewer even is in my back garden...

Well it must connect to a sewer somewhere so either putting a camera down the rodding eye or using rods should help us ascertain how far it goes until it connects to the other chamber.

 

[Scorpi]

Unfortunately your water company is not alone in that stance, they are all the same with the onus being on the applicant to map any drains on their property. But they have you over a barrel, no confirmation of drains the application can be processed. But sounds like it's resolved now anyway.

The rear extension would be under permitted development, I'm guessing if St Water has sewer running close to it you'd still need a boa am I right?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Correct and if a BOA is required then a Full Plans Application should be submitted rather than doing it on a Notice.