| Drainage help? 21:30 - Jul 29 with 585 views | Zx1988 |
Following on from a previous post, I'm after some advice on a drainage issue we're currently suffering. I've knocked up the below plan to try and help explain things:
(Downpipes are in blue, as is the land drain in front of the garages. The land drain discharges into the green below-ground line, which connects below-ground to the neighbour's rear left-hand downpipe.)
Over the last few months we've found that the land drain backs up in heavy rain, backing up out of the green outlet, and flooding the carport and garage. It's evidently a mixture of foul waste and rainwater, as the floodwater leaves fatty deposits and smells of laundry/dishwater.
We've had Homeserve out, who promptly declared it not their problem as it's a shared drain. They recommended we call out Anglian Water.
Anglian water were very interested in it, as the evidence suggested that someone somewhere was illegally discharging foul waste into the rainwater system. They've been out a few times, not managed to ascertain where the water from the land drain goes once it hits the neighbour's downpipe, and have now given up. Their working theory is that the land drain goes nowhere, as does the neighbour's downpipe, and the whole setup is one big U-bend. They've also declared it not their problem, and have recommended I get my buildings insurer involved.
The house was built in about 2010 (first sale is registered with HMLR as being 20/04/2011) and AW say that they have not adopted the rainwater system to the rear.
Their argument seems like total BS (the foul waste has to be coming from somewhere, and it's not magicking itself out of the downpipe to which they claim the land drain is connected) and, even if AW aren't responsible for the pipework at my end of proceedings, surely the fact that the illegal discharge will be ending up in their system at whichever point the private pipes meet the public rainwater system should be enough for them to take an interest?
Similarly, their investigations found that the gulleys into which the front downpipes discharge were also full of foul/fatty water, so it seems like a more widespread issue.
AW have left it with me to investigate, and have advised that they will gladly pick up the baton again if my investigation shows that the issue is with an AW asset.
Are they correct at this point, in that I'm now very much on my own and at the mercy of my insurer? Or does it seem like they have declared the investigation as being too much like hard work, and are hoping that I (and hopefully my insurer) will be able to move the investigation along for them?
If it's the latter, is there anything else I should know or be aware of? We've ascertained that the foul waste isn't being discharged from my property, so it'll likely be coming from a neighbour further down the line somewhere. |  |
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| Drainage help? on 21:36 - Jul 29 with 519 views | mellowblue |
no expertise to offer, but you have my full sympathy. Not a good situation to be in. | | | |
| Drainage help? on 21:49 - Jul 29 with 460 views | flettonblue |
If its only occurring during heavy rainfall is it a case of lack of capacity to manage the incoming flow and overload the system, and or something restricting the network to prevent flow getting away? Presumably AW checked this out with cameras and popping manholes? Could you get hold of any plans from the council or ask neighbours if they know anymore about the land drain and where it goes (apologies you already done this). Does any of the effluent/rainwater enter a watercourse at all? What's a land drain mean to you - a below ground soak away or a ditch, or some kind of SUDS system? |  | | |
| Drainage help? on 21:52 - Jul 29 with 443 views | bazza |
You’d do well to go back to the original developer and see if you can get records of the original drainage plans to see what goes where, then get it cctv surveyed to find who has the illegal drainage connection, but also where and why it’s blocking. Also the developer can advise what was or wasn’t adopted. |  | | |
| Drainage help? on 22:01 - Jul 29 with 394 views | Zx1988 |
| Drainage help? on 21:49 - Jul 29 by flettonblue |
If its only occurring during heavy rainfall is it a case of lack of capacity to manage the incoming flow and overload the system, and or something restricting the network to prevent flow getting away? Presumably AW checked this out with cameras and popping manholes? Could you get hold of any plans from the council or ask neighbours if they know anymore about the land drain and where it goes (apologies you already done this). Does any of the effluent/rainwater enter a watercourse at all? What's a land drain mean to you - a below ground soak away or a ditch, or some kind of SUDS system? |
Hi Fletton - thanks for the comment.
It feels as if it's a case of 'twelve and two sixes'. It may be that the cross connection is compromising the capacity of the system, or that it has led to a build-up of fat within the system which is reducing the capacity.
I've probably used the wrong terminology here. When I say a land drain, it's an ACO drain which runs along the front of both garages, with the gulley discharging into a single below-ground pipe. AW stuck a camera into this pipe, which they managed to get as far as the point at which it meets the neighbour's rear downpipe, but couldn't get it any further.
I've got in contact with the local council this evening to see if they hold any drainage plans for the development, as the online planning system only holds the superficial plans showing general layout etc.,
My plan at the moment is to try and find out where these pipes eventually discharge to and, if they link to AW-managed infrastructure, try and get them to come back out and deal with it, with a focus on the illegal discharge side of things.
Given the age of the estate (2006-ish to 2018-ish) I'm pretty sure it's a SUDS setup. There are a couple of lagoons on the edges of the estate, both about 600m-700m away from me as the crow flies, so I'd assume that the rainwater should eventually be making its way to one of those? | |
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| Drainage help? on 13:16 - Jul 30 with 203 views | Zx1988 |
| Drainage help? on 21:52 - Jul 29 by bazza |
You’d do well to go back to the original developer and see if you can get records of the original drainage plans to see what goes where, then get it cctv surveyed to find who has the illegal drainage connection, but also where and why it’s blocking. Also the developer can advise what was or wasn’t adopted. |
Cheers Bazza - that's what I've done. I've reached out to SNDC and the developer to try and get hold of the original drainage plans.
It would appear that the crux of the matter may well be whether the surface water eventually ends up in AW infrastructure, or whether there's a soakaway somewhere which has become fouled up with oily crud... | |
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| Drainage help? on 16:51 - Jul 30 with 125 views | buoyant |
| Drainage help? on 22:01 - Jul 29 by Zx1988 |
Hi Fletton - thanks for the comment.
It feels as if it's a case of 'twelve and two sixes'. It may be that the cross connection is compromising the capacity of the system, or that it has led to a build-up of fat within the system which is reducing the capacity.
I've probably used the wrong terminology here. When I say a land drain, it's an ACO drain which runs along the front of both garages, with the gulley discharging into a single below-ground pipe. AW stuck a camera into this pipe, which they managed to get as far as the point at which it meets the neighbour's rear downpipe, but couldn't get it any further.
I've got in contact with the local council this evening to see if they hold any drainage plans for the development, as the online planning system only holds the superficial plans showing general layout etc.,
My plan at the moment is to try and find out where these pipes eventually discharge to and, if they link to AW-managed infrastructure, try and get them to come back out and deal with it, with a focus on the illegal discharge side of things.
Given the age of the estate (2006-ish to 2018-ish) I'm pretty sure it's a SUDS setup. There are a couple of lagoons on the edges of the estate, both about 600m-700m away from me as the crow flies, so I'd assume that the rainwater should eventually be making its way to one of those? |
For a developent of thay age, ll of the surface water (run off from roofs and paved areas) will go into either a dedicated surface water network that either connects downstream to an AW SW asset or more likely a SUDs arrangement.
The developer will have had to submit and agree a design with AW and planning prior to the build. You should also ask AW what the adoption status is for both the FW and SW systems. Their developer services department will have records of this.
The foul in the SW system is very much a thing as if it discharges from a foul asset to land it will be treated as a pollution event so I AW have an obligation to investigate and solve.
Happy to discuss more if you want to pm me. |  |
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