Blocked Drain - probable cost to clear?

[ChrisJ]

We've got some builders round at the minute re-laying a block paved drive. Part of this involves lowering a raised section of the block paved area on which is the man-hole cover of the foul drain inspection pit. I spoke to the builder tonight and they said that they had lifted the cover to make sure they had enough clearance to lower it and found sewerage'y water backed right up. They said that they would try and clear it tomorrow (I assume they have some rods) or else I would have to get Dynarod or similar in before they can proceed.

The bath still empties fine, the loo still flushes and the storm drain which is 3 or more feet higher (at the back of the property) isn't overflowing. The drain flowing (or not as the case may be) through the inspection pit serves only our property.

Am I right in assuming that given what I have described in the last paragraph the blockage is likely to be down-stream of the inspection pit? If so, who is responsible, me or the council? (1970's house by the way).

If it is my look-out how much are the likes of Dynarod likely to charge to get the errant turds blasted free?

Thanks for any guidance.

Chris.

[Hugo Nebula]

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 21:08:32 GMT, a particular chimpanzee named ChrisJ randomly hit the keyboard and produced:

Hasn't been 'the Council' for many a year. If the blockage is in the public sewer, it's the responsibility of your sewerage company (usually, but not always, your water company). If it's in your drain serving just your property, it's entirely your responsibility. This is not necessarily up to your boundary. The tricky bit comes if it's a private sewer; draining more than one property, but not adopted. Theoretically, if the blockage is in the private sewer, you should recoup the costs from all those 'upstream' of the blockage. Good luck.

[Jeff]

Phone the council.... mine does a fixed fee job (private house) iirc £35 = a lot less than any private company

Regards Jeff

[ChrisJ]

Thanks for that. I'll give them a ring in the morning.

Chris.

[Russ]

this is true - had ours unblocked last month. Every house attached to that sewer until the point it meets the main sewer (water company owned) is legallaly obliged to contribute to teh unblocking costs. It'll tell you this on any water company's website. The dynorod guy even wrote "this bill must be shared" on the report he wrote out. Dynorod was =A3120 but he unblocked 2 drains. Expect about =A380

[Brian]

It depends how honest the company is, if they turn up with jetting equipment show them the gate. The oldest con in the book. Surely you would have noticed a blocked drain! Did it only appear suddenly!

[Brian]

Wrong! It depend on how old the drains are. If they are more than a certain age then the local council WILL cover the cost even on private property. My neighbours have just saved thousands thanks to checking first and not listening to rumours or people that think they are correct.

[Hugo Nebula]

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 22:51:11 GMT, a particular chimpanzee named "Brian" randomly hit the keyboard and produced:

Pre-1937, any drain serving more than one property is a de-facto public sewer. However, the OP mentioned that his house is a 1970's, therefore I was correct.

[Dave Fawthrop]

| We've got some builders round at the minute re-laying a block paved | drive. Part of this involves lowering a raised section of the block | paved area on which is the man-hole cover of the foul drain inspection | pit. I spoke to the builder tonight and they said that they had lifted | the cover to make sure they had enough clearance to lower it and found | sewerage'y water backed right up. They said that they would try and | clear it tomorrow (I assume they have some rods) or else I would have | to get Dynarod or similar in before they can proceed.=20 |=20 | The bath still empties fine, the loo still flushes and the storm drain | which is 3 or more feet higher (at the back of the property) isn't | overflowing. The drain flowing (or not as the case may be) through the | inspection pit serves only our property. |=20 | Am I right in assuming that given what I have described in the last | paragraph the blockage is likely to be down-stream of the inspection | pit? If so, who is responsible, me or the council? (1970's house by | the way). |=20 | If it is my look-out how much are the likes of Dynarod likely to | charge to get the errant turds blasted free?

Let your builders try to rod it which will probably work. If not Dynorod *expensive,* or a cheaper local company, can push a flexible hose with backwards facing jets, which will pull itself into the drain, and almost. I had mine done some years ago, which was not expensive. The drain is used by two houses, but it was easier to pay than argue. =20

--=20 Dave Fawthrop

17,000 free e-books at Project Gutenberg! Yorkshire Dialect go to

[Dave Baker]

Also wrong. Non shared drains are always the responsibility of the homeowner to the point at which they meet the public sewer. Shared drains, which are properly called private sewers, are the complex bit.

Shared drains built prior to the implementation of the Public Health Act on

1st October 1937 are the responsibility of the local water company. Nothing whatsoever to do with the local council. Each house is still solely responsible for the part of its own drain prior to it joining someone else's drain and becoming a private sewer.

Shared drains built post 1st October 1937 are the joint responsibility of the various homeowners unless the water company has 'adopted' them. It doesn't matter where in the shared system the blockage occurs. Everyone connected pays their share. Again each house is solely responsible for the part of its own drain prior to it joining the private sewer.

Sadly I didn't know any of this several years ago in connection with my own

1926 house when the daft bitch next door blocked the joint part under my land not just once but three times by flushing tampons and baby nappies down the loo and leaving me to pay for it. Grrrrr. I could have just got the water company in if I'd known.

BTW - I concur with previous advice never to use a dynorod type company or plumber. The local council usually offer a cheap fixed price service.

-- Dave Baker

[Dave Baker]

Addenda - unless your drain joins the private sewer downstream of the blockage of course in which case it isn't your problem. That will never apply if there are only two shared drains as in the most usual case of a semi detached house. However all upstream of a blockage share the cost of fixing it regardless of under whose land the blockage occurs.

-- Dave Baker

[Another Dave]

Absolutely! Don't go anywhere near Dynorod - they overcharge, try to sell you extra services and drive offensively-coloured vans. My council arranged a local man for a fixed charge of, I think, £55.

Cheers Another dave

[al]

And if it's likely to happen again, plumbing cover costs about the same and could well be worth having. I've had it for 2 years now (£55 a year with my water company) and called them 3 times, which more than makes up for the cost! Twice for a blocked drain (one sewer with a nappy stuck further down the road and one grease in the kitchen drain outside) and once for a corroded thread on a washing machine tap causing dripping. I bought a new tap before and gave it to him (about £2!), he hacked off the old and soldered on the new for me (bloody awkward position!!).

All of the above I could have done myself (with a borrowed rod anyway), but the first two were disgusting the and soldering was in a f**king terrible position! So I've had that done for me and known that if anything sprung a leak they would send someone straight away. I do have basic plumbing skills (replaced all my rads last year), but it's nice to have an expert at hand in case everything goes really pear shaped. Particularly as I just soldered over 40 joints 6 months ago!! *touches wood* ...

a

[ChrisJ]

Thanks for all the feedback.

As it happens the builders were successful rodding it (one of them unfortunately reverse parked his breakfast due to the process). When I offered to pay them extra for this they said just to cover the cost of the rod hire (peanuts) and get them some beer. If only all builders were so decent.

[Chris J Dixon]

So this means that if, for instance, somebody has tree roots on his property blocking a pipe, but it is upstream of the point where his outflow joins the shared pipe, then he, though responsible for the cause of the blockage, does not have to contribute to the clearance?

Chris

[BigBrian]

Wish I had read this thread before this morning!

Noticed downstairs loo was not flushing properply. I know my property is the start of the drain, lifted the manhole cover and was greeted by a sea of turds; went next door and with the help of the neigbour lifted his drain cover, same result. three further houses down found a clear drain. Got a lenght of overflow pipe and sucessfully pushed the blockage further down stream :-( Neighbour and myself now tired dirty and fed up, then another neighbour turned up and said that he got the local water company in to the clear the last blockage and it was free as it was a public sewer; Our houses are pre-1937 and reading the above thread, the blockage should be removed for free.

Only puked up once, nice way to spend a Saturday, I was supposed to be looking at why the inside my car windscreen was frosting up, instead spent it looking at hundreds of turds :-(

Brian

[Owain]

You're supposed to push the blockage *upstream* that loosens the blockage and allows the accumulated water to run down the drain and overflow into your wellies.

Owain

[Andrew Gabriel]

What makes you think a tree owner is in any way responsible if his tree blocks a sewer? A tree root is not the slightest bit interested in a sewer pipe, unless it's already broken.

[Chris J Dixon]

So it couldn't possibly be the agent of damage, in the same way that roots can lift pavements, damage walls etc?

Chris

[Andy Dingley]

A thick root beneath a sewer may lift the pipe and break it, just like a tarmac drive.

Many old sewer joints also leak slightly, even if this is far too little to count as "a leak". In dryish ground this can be enough of a source of moisture to be attractive to small roots.