The Brew Cabin

A DRAINAGE PIPE APPROX 9 INCHES WIDE IS RUNNING FROM THE DIRECTION OF A ROAD AND HOUSES TO THE REAR OF THE PROPERTY OR BEYOND THEM
IT LITERALLY ENDS IN THE SOIL HALF WAY DOWN THE REAR GARDEN TOWARD THE HOUSE IT HAS BEEN EXCAVATED BY INSURANCE COMPANY AND CHECKED BY WATER AUTHORITY AND IS A FRESHWATER DRAIN ? IT HAS NO SOAKAWAY AND HAS CAUSED FLOODING FOR IST TIME IN 37 YRS IN THE GARDEN
AT THE PRESENT TIME IT HAS BEEN JETTED FOR 40 MTRS AND A CAMERA PUT DOWN ONLY GOT 10 MTRS TOWARDS THE HOUSES MENTIONED TO THE REAR OF THE PROPERTY AND WE ARE AWAITING THE REPORT BACK RE THIS
THERE IS CURRENTLY NO TRACEABLE OWNER FOR THE PIPE AND NO WAY OF FINDING ONE AT PRESENT? CAN IT BE BLOCKED OFF LEAGALLY OR WOULD WE BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY PROBLEMS CAUSED ELSWHERE? CAN YOU SUGGEST ANY ALTERNATIVES AS AT PRESENT INSURANCE COUNCIL ETC ETC ARE SAYING ITS NOT THERE PROBLEM!!! THIS IS AFFECTING THE HEALTH OF THE OWNERS WHO ARE OVER 60YRS AND CURRENTL SEEING A DOCTOR DUE TO THIS PROBLEM ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED
REGARDS

Bloody hell! Have you never heard of lower case typing and punctuation? It would make understanding your post so much easier! :)

If this is a surface water pipe, then at 9" diameter (225mm) it is most likely an adopted drain and therefore the responsibility of the LA as agents for the Water Authority. It is up to the LA to give you a written statement that it is either a private drain and the responsibility of such-and-such-a-body, or it is an adopted drain and their reponsibility. They cannot simply shrug their collective shoulders and say it's nowt to do with them.

If you don't know who is responsible for the pipe, then who is paying for the cctv and what are you hoping to find? If the pipe end "in soil" this may well be an old soakaway. CCTV cannot penetrate olde-fashioned soakaways, and it may well be that the existing soakaway (such as it is) has reached the end of its serviceable life, and a new one will need to be constructed.

If the pipe is flowing (and it must have been to cause flooding) then it must not be blocked off - if you do, you will be held liable, and rightly so! If the drain is directly affecting your health, then it becomes an environmental issue, and you can drag the EH crowd in, if necessary, but this has to be some form of physical health issue, not mental health (ie: stress or worry) no matter how distressing it is.

Tony thanks for the reply and apologies
The la Chester, Welsh Water and Highways all state this drain is not there's as it is NOT ON THERE PLANS and imply it is the house owners responsability.The house insurance are saying that it is not covered by them and they excavated as a goodwill jesture. The use of the camera was the environmental healths idea as a means of tracing the pipe to its source to find the owners of this pipe. If NO other owner of the pipe can be traced how can this flooding be prevented and at what cost as the house insurance were given a quote from a firm who initially attended for £8000 ? I'd like to know what for! The houses in the area were bought by a housing trust in April 2004 from the council and say they would have repaired it if still council property but won't as the owners have now bought it Are the La still required to give a written statement as to its ownership?
thanks again

I don't think I've quite got the picture here. Does the drain start at the road and go up towards the house and then stop, or does it run from the house down towards the road and then stop? Where is the water coming from that is in the pipe?

This is now solved by a map and areal photos from 1940's found x environmental health and is insurance companys responsability
Thanks very much for the prompt advice
regards