Where and how can I run a channel drain?

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Kent
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United Kingdom
Hi all

Thank you in advance for any guidance I can get.

I'm looking to install a channel drain at the front of my house for various reasons regarding the gradient of the front garden, poor drainage and concern for foundations/damp. It will be approximately 6 meters. In terms of where the water goes - the first two considerations quoted by building regs to consider first are not practical - we cannot appease both the distance from the house and boundary needed for a soakaway (5m and 2.5m respectively) and there is no water course to run the rainwater into near my property.

At my property we have a shared drain that runs across multiple property boundaries (front gardens/driveways) before entering the public sewer. This is a combined drain taking both surface and foul water.

Now from some painstaking research I found that in 2011, the responsibility for the shared drain transferred to the local authority (Southern Water in this case) - even though it sits within mine and my neighbours' boundaries; but that any drains leading up to it that purely serves my property is my responsible.

My questions are:
- can I connect the new channel drain to the sewer (it's about a 3 metre run)?
- can I connect the new channel drain to an existing pipe before it reaches the sewer?
- in either of the above cases, what hoops would I need to jump through (if any) to do this?

I have looked on Southern Water's website and all of their information and forms to connect to an existing sewer are geared toward new housing developments or significant construction work.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
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A soakaway does not need to be 5m from a building or boundary, nor do you need permission to form one

You will need permission from your water company to connect a drain to the public sewers, and may be building regulation approval too.
 
Thank you for getting back to me.

The below link seems to suggest there are those regulations for a soakaway? It is also in the approved document H but this is a bit easier to reference.

Am I interpreting it wrong? Excuse my ignorance! A soakaway may be an easier solution but given the gradient of the front garden, may mean a 3+ meter hole which seems excessive so want to try and avoid it!

https://www.eden.gov.uk/planning-an...nce-notes/rainwater-soakaway-design-guidance/
 
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Firstly that is guidance - suggestion not regulation.

Secondly, in any case the building regulations don't apply to what you are doing!
 

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