Drains & sewers transfer (was: "Letter from water co"

Re the recents discussions: our water authority has a very informative web page on this topic:

formatting link

Reply to
Another John
Loading thread data ...

The examples are very simplistic. Many detached houses have shared sewers.

Reply to
Invisible Man

Indeed. I live in the end house (nearest the main sewer) of a row of 4 detached houses. A private sewer, serving the 4 houses, runs across our front gardens and joins the public sewer - still under my property.

Under the current arrangements, I am jointly responsible for the whole of this private sewer until it joins the public sewer. Under the new arrangements, I shall only be responsible for the pipes from my property as far as the manhole where they join the private sewer.

Incidentally, there's another private sewer running under the back gardens of all four houses which doesn't serve any of them, but serves about 15 houses further up the road. This collapsed and became blocked a few years ago, under my neighbour's garden. The owners of the 15 houses served by it all had to chip in[1] towards the repair. Under the new arrangements, it would have been Severn Trent's responsibility.

[1] It was actually initially funded by the local authority because a manhole in the garden of one of the houses *not* served by it was surcharging and was deemed to be a public health hazard. But the local authority subsequently took steps to recover the cost from the householders served by this private sewer.
Reply to
Roger Mills

I don't think that's correct, according to current knowledge.

Your house has 'drains'. If these drains leave your property without joining any other pipework, they become 'lateral drains'. Where lateral drains join a pipe, that pipe becomes a sewer.

Water companies are taking over responsibility for sewers and lateral drains.

If your drain joins other drains without leaving private property, then where they join becomes a sewer, and is the responsibility of the WC even if on private ground. You are responsible for your drains until they either leave your property or join a sewer.

Helpful videos here:

formatting link

Reply to
Terry Fields

So what did I say (above) which isn't consistent with what you said?

The manhole where my drains join the private sewer is on my property, as is apparent in the bit you clipped.

Reply to
Roger Mills

Sorry, but it isn't as apparent as you might think.

You describe the arrangement of sewers, and in a separate paragraph introduce the manhole. This is further confused by your saying that you "shall only be responsible for the pipes from my property", when I think from the context pipes = drains and property = building.

IOW you've used the word 'property' to mean two different things, which could also suggest that the manhole is in your building.

Reply to
Terry Fields

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.