Filed under: drainage
Dear all,
Do any of you know what is happening with the drains that serve your property and the changes in legislation that are occuring?
How many of you actually know at the moment, if you, or the water authority own the sewers that serve your property?
Here’s a top tip for you.
1) Was your property built before 1936 and the drains are connected in with your neighbours.
2) Are you mid terrace of a row of Victorian cottage houses or a nice thirties semi?
3) If you are the end house of a row, chances are you are what we call “Head of the Run.” Although you may be the last house. Lift the manhole cover using an old screwdriver and have a look at what is down there. If you can see a pipe running from out of your property towards your neighbours, then you are “head of the run.”
That pipe only takes your waste and therefore it is private. You will pay to have it cleared regardless of the age of the property.
If you look down the manhole and there is a funny looking chamber with two holes one above the other, you have struck gold. That is an interceptor. See diagram below.
Image taken from the leading manufacturers, Hepworth’s website http://www.hepworth-drainage.co.uk/images/drain-ABS-pipe.jpg
Now when you look at an interceptor you look at the two branches of the y with the tail facing away from you.
If you have one of these in the chamber you are looking at, then the sewer serving your property is owned by the Water Authority as long as you have met the criteria set out in points 1 & 2.
The Local Authority where you live have a copy of the Water Authority sewer plans. I suggest highly you ask if you can see them. You can sketch the plans, but you are not allowed a printed copy. If the sewer to you propert is on the plans then the Water Authority owns them.
If your sewers met criteria 1 & 2 you have what in the trade is called a “Section 24″ sewer. “Section 24″ refers to the Public Health Act of 1936 where ownership and maintenance falls to the Water Authority. Therefore, you dont actually have to hire a Drainage company to sort out your problems!!! You ring your Water Authority and log a blocked drain and quote that you have a blocked section 24 sewer.
Dont all thank me at once for having just saved you shed loads of money in the future!
Now then, as discussed before, the kitchen gully is a private connection into the manhole. Therefore, if it blocks you will need to work out if it is just the gully that is blocked or if there are problems further down the line.
Most importantly, there are legislation changes comming in where most private sewers and laterals will be transfered over to the Water Authority. This is being discussed in parliament this year. If successful, all private lines and laterals will transfer over in April 2011.
If you want to know what this means for you personally, please contact me and we can arrange a site visit and and initial assessment.
Any questions e-mail me at tomassolimited (at) yahoo.co.uk.
Peter.
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