public sewer

[andrewf75]

Hi, we are starting to build an extension next week. Have full plans approval etc and the manhole on our property only takes our drainage so not shared.

However...just spoke to neighbour and he mentioned that they had to reroute a sewer which goes across our garden - its a couple of metres out from where we are building and doesn't connect to our manhole.

Is this a potential problem? Will it even be found if it isn't where the foundations are being dug?

Cheers for any advice!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

So is the one under your garden a public sewer?

I think that if you're building within 3m of it you can't just ignore it, now that you know it's there.

 

[andrewf75]

So is the one under your garden a public sewer?

I think that if you're building within 3m of it you can't just ignore it, now that you know it's there.

well its not on any map and isn't known about by the water company or building control, but they have transferred all sewers to public ownership. So if it serves more than one house its a public sewer...but unless we pay to investigate this we have no way of knowing!

Bit of a crazy situation really, which is why I'm tempted to just leave it and hope it isn't found.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Better hope it doesn't get damaged by the weight of your extension too. Don't forget your neighbour knows you know it's there.

 

[masona]

I have downloaded the sewer map of my area and doesn't show any inspection chamber but only the flow line of the direction of the sewer pipe!

 

[andrewf75]

Better hope it doesn't get damaged by the weight of your extension too. Don't forget your neighbour knows you know it's there.

Not quite that simple. Neighbour thinks it goes across our property. On our property there is no evidence of it at all and from our manhole there is nothing to suggest it is there. It is on no sewer maps.

Obviously if its close enough to be possibly affected by the extension then we'd be getting the buildover agreement. I'm just not keen on paying a lot of money to investigate something that is almost certainly not in the way of our extension!

 

[rjm2k]

Your neighbour could be making it up to make life difficult if he's not happy about the extension, also what he classes as a sewer could be a drainpipe for all you know.

If you've gone to the effort of checking and the water co doesn't know about it and it's not shown on any maps, you can't reasonably be expected to know about it and deal with it.

Personally, I'd just get on with it but be careful.

 

[nickjb]

Does the alleged sewer just serve your neighbours property or are there more houses upstream?

If its 2 and a bit metres I'd be inclined not to worry. You could easily claim that you couldn't find it on any plans, or find any signs of it and estimated it to be 3m and not a problem.

 

[andrewf75]

Neighbour isn't being difficult, they had to reroute it slightly to build their extension - which goes further out than ours. No idea how many other houses it serves as it isn't mapped!

Yes, I mentioned it to the builder last night and before he starts I'll go round and ask the neighbour to show me exactly where he reckons it is.