Ground water running over pavement/road - Advice needed for clueless

[Tony McC]

From experience it seems that the utility co's will go to extraordinary lengths to avoid digging up PIC. They know they can patch blacktop and re-lay flags or blocks, but PIC nearly always lands themn with a full reconstruction because invisible, or even just 'discreet', repairs are impossible.

[Lexy]

I don't believe it - water board been out again - it's not a leak! I give up. Happy Christmas everyone!

[rimexboy]

oh dear i thought they said it was a leak,
are you on a water meter???

[Lexy]

They did say it was a leak, replaced the stop tap outside and now say there is no leak, and the water continues to leak out. We have a meter under our sink but it doesn't seem to be moving when everything is off, so I guess it is ground water. I will have to get a drainage person round after Xmas and pray that it doesn't freeze until it's solved somehow.

[rimexboy]

Well if you have a meter under the sink and it's not moving does not mean you don't have a leak before the meter.

I've tried looking at your pictures but some seam to have gone,

Sorry for all the questions so to stop the water from entering your property how and where do you turn your water supply of, is it in the house in the front garden or outside your house on the footpath?

Thanks simon

[lutonlagerlout]

as said previous utilities dont want to be digging up PIC drives
this is a clients drive that veolia had to dig up

can you see the invisible repair?
if you have a stop cock in the street I would try turning that off
the severe cold spell recently has found out a lot of dodgy underground pipework
LLL

[rimexboy]

That's not very pretty tony....

[local patios and driveway]

Hehe what repair? Haha pic what a load of sh!te.

[lutonlagerlout]

we have done a lot of work for this particular client and i would like to repair it properly for him
any ideas what colours mats etc i would need?
if i could get the colour right i reckon i could diddle and fake the lines
cheers LLL

[Tony McC]

It looks like the colour they call 'Platinum' which is essentially black/charcoal with a light grey release.

PICS in Newbury would have the mats for hire, and the colours, but that area isn't really big enough to take a mat.

If I was the householder, I'd be back on to Veolia with a WTF and a solicitor's letter. That is simply unacceptable.

Back to Lexy's problem. The problem with what we used to call the Water Board's is that we have to take their word for it. If they say it's not their leak, how do you prove differently? I recall a case about 15 years ago where Useless Utilities swore blind that the water bubbling up on a job in a part of Wiggin not exactly known for natural springs was definitely not a leak. They'd done pressure tests and had two lads sat in a van for half a day supping Bovril and struggling to complete The Sun crossword, so they must be right!

The client paid us to follow the water, hand digging back along what seemed to be the route the water was forcing through the ground, becoming wetter and wetter until....clang! A cracked iron water pipe.

Naturally, Useless claimed we'd broken the pipe by digging down to it, and said we'd be charged for the damage, but they eventually fixed it and I'm still waiting for the bill.

So, unless you can find some way of determining the true source of the water, you are back to dealing with the consequences, which is probably some form of interceptor drain.

[rimexboy]

To use a pumped system, what we call a rising drain, you need a collection chamber and a reliable pump with a float switch.

Somewhere on this sprawling site is a bit of info about installing a small wet well with a rising drain to cope with residential surface water drainage, but can I bkloody find it? It's not even showing up on a Googly Serach, but I do have the drawing I did to accompany the text....



They are pretty easy to install and in all honesty, I doubt very much that it is the sort of job that a PIC Contractor would want. There are specialist wet well installers, but they work out as quite pricey for these small jobs. A good drainage contractor, groundworker or competent builder should be able to help but you also need a qualified electrician to do the wiring-up.

Here it is sorry on iPhone

[Lexy]

Well it's been a while, due to the weather, and I am no further on really. How do I solve this problem if I am not allowed to put the water into any of U.U. drains and the land is clay so won't soakaway?

Doesn't the water from an interceptor drain in drive still have to go somewhere?

Council have advised I get a solicitor. UU say that because it's ground water it cannot go into surface water drains and yet it runs across the road and goes down a drain in the road anyway, which I assume is the same drain, it's just that I need it to go in there before it crosses the road?!

I have no idea what to do or who to talk to next..

[rimexboy]

What location is the stop cock the water board replaced, is it on your land or on the footpath, do you have a water meter fitted in your house,

[Lexy]

It was in the pavement and yes I have a water meter, which when everything is off, does not move.

[Tony McC]

Well it's been a while, due to the weather, and I am no further on really. How do I solve this problem if I am not allowed to put the water into any of U.U. drains and the land is clay so won't soakaway?

Doesn't the water from an interceptor drain in drive still have to go somewhere?

Council have advised I get a solicitor. UU say that because it's ground water it cannot go into surface water drains and yet it runs across the road and goes down a drain in the road anyway, which I assume is the same drain, it's just that I need it to go in there before it crosses the road?!

I have no idea what to do or who to talk to next..

You *are* allowed!

There are at least two routes that don't require a <spit> solicitor:

<ul>
<li> You apply for planning permission under the 2008 comedy legislation

<li> You use an ineffective soakaway with an overflow, as indicated in the guidance issued with the legislation, and send that to the nearest sewer.
</ul>

Useless Utilities may *prefer* you didn't outfall into one of "their" sewers (they used to be "our sewers" but the bitch Thatcher sold 'em off to her chums in the City) but the comedy legislation gives you a legal route to do just that.