Removal of manhole- method statement

[Lombear]

Hi,

I am in the process of a renovation and now moving on to the conversion of the garage which will become a habitable room.
In the garage is a manhole which I need to get agreement from the water authority to build over. My plans was to build up the manhole to floor level and double seal. The floor will be suspended. However from discussion with the water company they will not accept this and it is expected that they will request the removal of the manhole. I am hoping that they will be fine with this as there is a manhole 2m to 3 m to the right on the neighbours property so access is still possible.

Anyhow to cut a long story short what I am asking is that if the manhole is removed what is the process or what is the method statement to be provided to the water company. Unfortunately my drawings guy and builder are not being very helpful at this stage and I need to take control of the issue.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[^woody^]

You write down how you will do it and what precautions you will take to protect the drains

 

[Lombear]

Thanks. Would anyone have an example of a method statement provided to a water company for removal of a manhole?

Thanks

 

[Ian H]

You could say you will dig out 0.5mtr of pipe upstream, downstream and up the branch. Replace with plastic 110mm pipes, bedded in 10mm pea gravel using AC4000 connections. And that you will provide access to whatever is joining the branch into the manhole.

 

[noseall]

We used a 3 tonne digger and gently tipped the whole masonry structure over, having cut through the pipes up and down-stream. The base came away with the brick sides. Heaven.
A real boon them diggers.

 

[Keithmac]

Can you completely remove a manhole?.

 

[Ian H]

Yes but it will leave you with a buried junction.

 

[^woody^]

Yes but it will leave you with a buried junction.

Then you wouldn't bother, and just cap the manhole.

 

[^woody^]

Thanks. Would anyone have an example of a method statement provided to a water company for removal of a manhole?

Thanks

It will take you no more that ten sentences to describe the process.

 

[Ian H]

Then you wouldn't bother, and just cap the manhole.

You wouldn't. Well, you might, but to do it properly one wouldn't.

 

[Lombear]

Thanks guys. I can’t see an issue with double sealing the manhole and simply leave it below the suspended floor. There is no foundation work go on around it as I can use the existing structure. However from reading the water companies website it says they will not allow a manhole inside. Hence having to go through the hassle and expense of removing the manhole.

It sounds like I don’t have much choice.

 

[bernardgreen]

Is this man-hole for access to your sewers or is it access to a shared sewer that carries waste from other properties as well as your property ?

If it is shared then the water company will have adopted the sewers and they will need to take control of the issue.

 

[^woody^]

It's stupidness that is going around the water companies. One idiot started it and the others just blindly followed suit.

It's all purely down to access to the manhole and if it's an "emergency" and the owner is out. How often that happens, I'd guess would be between nil and zero.

I would question whether it would stand up if challenged.

 

[bernardgreen]

It's stupidness that is going around the water companies.

If it is a shared service then the water company do have the final say.

 

[Keithmac]

Ours is a shared sewer so back to square one!.