Blocked waste drain and no access to manhole

[matt h]

I had a client in North Hampshire whos' insurance company wouldnt cover her drain collapse as they considered it fair wear and tear as it was over thirty years old. trouble was it was laid under her bowling green lawn, and flower beds. As it was I found out that the collapse had been caused by some electricity blokes working on pylons nearby. they had reversed into her garden to get at the power cables to put in some additional spacers or summat and the weight was too much for the clay pipes. By the time I'd finished you'ld never even know there had been a problem...but as it all had to be dug by hand the old back was givin me gyp. Got the electric company to fork out for the repair so the old biddie was chuffed... only trouble is everytime she has a slight problem I get a call:D

[Pavlos]

Well I guess nothing's ever simple. After digging up a two foot hole by my conservatory and finding no pipe, I finally manage to get hold of the neighbours. Contractors lift up their manhole to find it full. Two doors down from that it's empty. No rodding works so jetter on way. Turns out my pipe doesn't run straight into the mains under my garden, but joins a shared drain along the backs of the houses then joins the main sewer at the bottom of the road. Chat to the old lady next door and discover they are having a few problems with toilet filling up, but not to the extent of mine as their toilet is mid floor and mine is ground. Also discover they had a problem a few years back and it turned out in the house next to their's (two doors from mine) there is a fecking spike going through the pipe. I guess something has lodged in the pipe behind the spike and casued the blockage. I can't see how normal waste would take three years to back up into my house only twenty or thirty feet. Why the hell was this spike not sorted out when they found it?

Well I guess now it's a shared insurance job, but if it turns out to be the spike, surely that house should have all the costs?

Going to see if jetter unblocks what's there then put camera down. At least if that works I can move back in. Grrrrrr

[Pavlos]

OK final decision - collapsed drain two doors down. Tow manholes in next door have gone down significantly, but not completely...

[Dave_L]

Oh blimey Pav, it gets worse eh?

Here's hoping you can all get to a satisfactory solution.

[Pavlos]

Cheers. I hope so too. Finally met me neighbours today too...

"Hi I'm Paul from number 28. Not sure this is the best way to introduce meself, but we seem to have a drainage problem..."

:laugh:

[Dave_L]

Now does this lady know where the 'spike' is located?

[matt h]

shared drains are always a problem, but normally everyone has to fork out unfortunately. I t should be the faulty individual I agree, but does not normally work out that way. Have one estate not half a mile away where the drains are a constant problem... the houses pay afortune every year to get unblocked, when really they need digging up and laying properly, Only troulble is they wont agree to pay together to put it right, and yet they have to pay each time the thing gets blocked... daft if you ask me , :rock:

[flowjoe]

A spike through the drain should be classed as accidental damage, all those that use the damaged section will be required to pay towards the repair. If the rest of the damage is upstream of this including the collapsed manholes you have a fair case to argue that water loss from the blocked drain undermined the system/manholes.

Now the fun begins its bad enough when you have one home owner, one drainage contractor and one insurer, throw a second of any of the aforementioned into the mix and :O

[flowjoe]

Why does it always have to be on a bank holiday?

Hi everyone.

Recently moved into a house, buil circa 1900.

Pavlos

If the drain is shared by pre Oct 1937 properties it is a sewer and not your responsibility, which explains why the original problem of the spike passing through the pipe was never resolved.

[Pavlos]

Hi Joe

Yes I'm aware of that. Contractors told me I had to phone Southern Water while they were there to check re Section 24 or whatever. Guy I spoke to had a word with his supervisor and they basically rejected anything I was saying because they had the report on their system about the initial visit from SW and said the engineers would have straight away recognised it was Section 24. I protested, saying at the time it was thought my drain was private, but they would have none of it.

Would it mention anything about this on my water survey when I bought the place? Gonna go and find it today. What would it mean though if it was Section 24? SW deal with the whole thing? What happens to my excess???

[flowjoe]

Pavlos

You will need to stand your ground on this, and as a rate payer they have to act even if it is to prove you wrong.

The drawings they have will only show the main sewers within roads and highways, and they will only indicate what they may or may not have, those drawings will not show shared drainage runs running through gardens etc..........

You need to get one of their inspectors on site, stand at a manhole and prove that water from two properties passes through it by flush testing and or dye tests. If it is a Section 24 Sewer it is their responsibility to maintain and repair it.

If you are sure it is shared, and the properties pre-date Oct 1937 get all properties involved to ring SW and create some noise until it is sorted out, mention the health issues and failing that talk to your environmental health officer who can usually stir thing up a bit in the corridors of power where we mortals can not access :;):

[Pavlos]

Thanks Joe

I know for certain the drawings only show the main sewer running through our gardens, not the shared one. Just thought there might be something in the writing about it. I'm popping home later and will try and speak to the neighbours regarding it, and get them to phone. The houses are dated back to around 1900 so no doubt it's pre 1937. Would therre be any reason for them not to be covered by Section 24?

Edit: I'm not sure I will be able to prove two houses flush through one manhole when they are still clogged up...

[Pavlos]

Oh low and behold it's the responsibility of SW. Apparently they're coming round tomorrow to do the job. Two weeks of this crap for nothing.

[flowjoe]

Happy days Mr Rate Payer.............Two weeks, thats a baby one i`m involved on a system at the moment that has been under dispute for 10 years, we hope to finally prove ownership next week.:rock:

[matt h]

THERE HAS PROBABLY BEEN A PROBLEM THERE FOR YEARS, AND YOU JUST HAPPENED TO BE THE ONE TO HAVE TO CHASE THE PROBLEM UP. hOPEFULLY THE PROBLEM WILL NOW BE RESOLVED:rock: