'Twas on a Monday morning the gas man came to call

[Nightjar]

About a year ago, they laid new gas mains down our road and to every property.

With all the heavy rain of late, I started to get raw sewage coming up through my rainwater gully. Lots of jetting later and the CCTV camera shows a large piece of timber driven into the top of the sewer pipe. Tracing the line of the sewer and the distance to the blockage, it is exactly under a patch where the gas people dug.

Now, someone needs to come along and dig up the road again, to replace the sewer. Fortunately, as my house was built in 1931 and it is a shared sewer, the water authority are responible for all costs of clearing and repairing the sewers.

Colin Bignell

[Skipweasel]

#Oh it all makes work for the working man to do.

[Mark]

to the record but I couldn't play it anyway.

[Skipweasel]

A few years ago the kids gave me the whole lot on CD for Fathers' Day.

[dave]

Have y'all heard "Slow Train". Makes a (real) grown man cry. Excellent composition. "I'll 'Stand well clear of the doors', no more"...

[Skipweasel]

The family know that's what I want at my funeral.

[Skipweasel]

mourning Beeching's Axe.

that, I'd always heard it when I was a nipper as Beeching's Axe, not The Beeching Axe.

[Justin C]

In article , Nightjar

Colin, my house was built 1929 as one of a set of four (two pairs of semis), and the sewers of those up the road all run into the trap in our front garden and out to the main sewer from there. I'd be very interested in finding the legislation that says that the water authority are responsible.

It used to block way too often, fortunately the children next door are no longer children and no longer flush unsuitable items. It hasn't blocked for years... touch wood.

Justin.

[Tim Watts]

Justin C ( [e-mail]) wibbled on Saturday 22 January 2011

12:30:

[Bob Eager]

It's a pre 1937 shared sewer. Easy to Google.

[Nightjar]

They are known as Section 24 sewers, from Section 24 of the Public Health Act 1936, although Section 24 was repealed by the Water Act 1989, which has, in turn, been amended by the Water Consolidation (Consequential Provisions) Act 1991. However, there are exemptions to Section 24. In your case, one possibility would be if the four properties were built as a single curtilage (e.g. as tied cottages) and only sold off as individual properties after 1937. Your local water authority will be able to tell you whether Section 24 applies.

Colin Bignell

[Justin C]

you Tim. And also thanks to Bob and Colin.

From Colin's reply it's not one of those things that just "is", it needs investigating. As we've been here twelve (or is it thirteen?) years this January 25th, and, other than next-door's offspring flushing toothpaste tubes and other sundry bathroom 'toys', there has been no problem, so I'll keep this in mind but shan't pursue as there is currently no need to know.

Justin.