Sewer layout and blockages
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KEMYST
Labourer
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Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2023 11:55 am

Sewer layout and blockages

by KEMYST » Mon Jul 24, 2023 12:44 pm

Hi,
I hope someone can help here. We live in a terrace of three houses. We are No.1. There is a shared sewer (now adopted by Welsh Water) The sewer egress through and under our patio. There is a history of blockages where the sewer joins the main highway sewer. TBF to WW, if there is a blockage (which backs up sewage all over my patio), they very quickly come out, remove a drain cover in the middle of the patio, rod and then wash everything down. I do not know if No.3 has any access to the sewer but No.2 has built a Conservatory over the sewer which runs about 3ft from existing extensions. When Anglian built the conservatory, they built over the sewer and so there is no access point from their property to the sewer - no manhole etc. No-one will tell us what investigations (if any) were done to ensure that this buildover was safe and/or complied with current regulations
The new conservatory is much bigger than the previous structure so the weight on the sewer has increased quite dramatically. In other words, the only access to the sewer (for both houses) is via the drain cover in the middle of my patio.
I`m worried that (a) if they have a blockage under their property, it might be my patio will need to be excavated (b) we are trying to sell the house and feel that this issue might come back to bite us on the bum if a buyer`solicitor looks and this drainage configuration and it does not comply with current legislation.

Thank you for any help

stoneyboy
Project Manager
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Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:44 pm

Re: Sewer layout and blockages

by stoneyboy » Tue Jul 25, 2023 9:47 pm

Hi kemyst,
If you can get WW out to shove a camera along the drain from your drain cover, this should identify any problems.
From your description it sounds like you are the first property on the system ie furthest from the main. Water companies only have to adopt a drain once it serves two or more properties and then only the shared section. So you may have to get a private company out to do the survey.
Regards S

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