Soil pipe misconnection

[davidm1969]

Hi everybody

I'd welcome your advice

I live in a flat in a terraced property that was converted into 3 flats I am the 1st floor at the rear.

2. The flat above me has a misconnected pipe from their kitchen sink and washing machine, going to the surface water drain at the front/the road. The soil pipe for my flat and below is at the rear (next to the property rear extn).

3. Thames water recently identified the misconnection problem and say it must be fixed- causing pollution in a local river. Their initial survey person suggested the fix would have to be to connect to my pipes. I think they have said this because the flat above has its bathroom and toilet to the rear at a higher level than the kitchen sink and wm. My neighbour upstairs will be getting a plumber to visit.

4. Obviously I am not keen for my neighbour's pipes to enter my flat it is then a problem who is responsible for it, would need redecoration in my flat as well (lifting flooring and floorboards and maybe retiling and removing/putting back a toilet or other repairs to walls/plaster depending where they would connect pipes). Although we are joint freeholders so share managing the communal areas and external repairs/building insurance so we have to get on, going through my flat is not a good idea unless there really is no other solution.

5. I guess there are some things I'm not sure about and would welcome advice from the experts here

a) if there is a soil pipe in the flat above, it must go down somewhere already so why cant the kitchen sink/wm connect to that? How do we find out where it goes? (Is this what a drains/cctv survey does or will a plumber be able to find out )

b) would a grey water pump work instead - this could connect to their existing soil pipe or to the one that is in rear (there is a vertical pipe outside their rear window) vertical level to pump is I'd guess 1-2m max
https://www.granddesignsmagazine.co...et-you-put-kitchen-appliances-where-you-want/ Appreciate these cost a fair bit but then so would redecoration in my flat and while the cost will need to be borne by flat above, if grey water pumps work I can't see why I should allow pipes into my flat. Anybody got experience of these pumps and recommendations?

6. Afraid I don't have any useful internal photos as I don't know the exact layout of flat above. Attached a photo of rear shows my soil pipe (goes up past flat above's window at top on left)

7. All constructive advice very welcome, as well as any recommendations for questions to ask upstairs' plumber when they visit

Thanks in anticipation

Best

Thanks

 

[Notch7]

The flat above me has a misconnected pipe from their kitchen sink and washing machine, going to the surface water drain at the front/the road. The soil pipe for my flat and below is at the rear (next to the property rear extn).

It probably was done deliberately, Its hardly uncommon to have grey water connections to surface water drainage

whoever did the conversion c0cked up

a) if there is a soil pipe in the flat above, it must go down somewhere already so why cant the kitchen sink/wm connect to that?

this is the key question

my guess is that the toilet and bathroom are not next to the kitchen


A grey water pump would be a good solution as it is work self contained in the flat, but its possible there is no way to route it, maybe the stairwell is in the way


Even if its possible to do the plumbing alterations in the flat above, it wouldnt surprise me if they ask to access it through your ceiling

 

[davidm1969]

It probably was done deliberately, Its hardly uncommon to have grey water connections to surface water drainage

whoever did the conversion c0cked up


this is the key question

my guess is that the toilet and bathroom are not next to the kitchen


A grey water pump would be a good solution as it is work self contained in the flat, but its possible there is no way to route it, maybe the stairwell is in the way


Even if its possible to do the plumbing alterations in the flat above, it wouldnt surprise me if they ask to access it through your ceiling

Thanks a lot

Why exactly would there be no way to route it, why can't a pipe either go under the steps at back up to their bathroom in flat above or above the steps along the wall at skirting board level ? (Not terribly pretty necessarily I admit)

How big/thick a pipe is needed for this? Can't it be buried in the wall/plaster upstairs to help make it less visible?

And why would it be better to access through my ceiling instead of lifting their floors? Surely it's easier to work from above on a solid surface/joists than from below.

Thanks again