Waste water into drains

[Paul123]

Hi,

I live in an old terrace house with a common sewer (or is that drain) running past the back door. I common with the other houses in the terrace waste water from the sink, washing machine etc. are simply fed to a drain cover by the back doors. This then goes via the u bend into the common sewer which also carries raw sewerage.
I'm in the process of plumbing water to a garden out-house and would like to feed the waste water to the sewer in the same manner as my sink in the house but I've been told that this is no longer allowed. Is this correct or is it acceptable on a old property?

Many thanks for any help you can give.

Paul

[84-1093879891]

Mmmm...this is becoming a FAQ. More writing and web-page construction, I suspect.

The situation is that sending surface water into the sewer system is now "actively discouraged", which is not quite the same as "not allowed". Basically, the Water Authorities prefer you to find any other way of disposing of surface water and to use the sewer system only as a very last and final resort.

This is all done for good reason. We are parching our aquifers because we send so much surface water, which is basically clean, into the sewers and the rivers, rather than into the ground. We're also placing a huge burden on our antiquated sewer systems, and racking up the cost of effluent treatment, so, all in all, sending surface water into the ground, part of the SUDS initiative (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems), is a "good thing", but it's a strategy, not a law.

[ABILITY]

Thought that sink and washing machine waste water and the like, is classed as brown, and as should be discharged to the sewer, as you say via a gulley outlet.
Tony is right that surface / rain water is, if possible discharged via soak away or top water system if in place.
Depends on which water from the outhouse you mean, as to whether it should go to sewer or soak away.

[Paul123]

Thanks for that. I'm sorry but I didn't make it clear on my original post that the shed would also be mains water supplied and have a washing machine and sink in it. Never mind, I think from the answers given it would be acceptable to put 'brown water' into the sewer via a surface gully and the rainwater runoff into a soakaway. If, however, I've got that completely wrong I'm sure you'll let me know.

Once again many thanks,
Paul

[84-1093879891]

Yes, just to clarify all waste water must go into the swers, but surface water can be sent into the ground. Waste water may also be referred to as Foul, Grey, Dirty, Brown, or a host of other less pleasant terms.