Running water issue

[mickavalon]

Morning
We're working o a paving job, on a 1900's house. Part of the project was to rebuild some awful steps leading from the french doors leading out of the client's 12 year old kitchen extension, approx drop of 1200mm, down to a stone patio. Upon demolition/excavation, we found our foundation trench filling with water, apparently coming from beneath the house??? Upon further inspection, including having to pump the water off, we've pretty much worked out the water is coming form inside the extension, more than likely from a badly done lead water pipe that used to feed the old outside toilet, demolished to build the extension. The internal floors of the extension are all concrete, and we can't find any sign of a stop tap, with lead pipe in the garden or house, apart from beneath a kitchen sink, but that's only the end tail, the rest of which was concreted over!!! It's been leaking now for 12 years, it's well below the dpm, and the grounds not clay, so the water is draining away into the surrounding soil. Soakaway, with or without a pump, or run away and get a building inspector?

[mickavalon]

I meant to add that the clients have told us the builder was very dodgy, He worked for the council, used council workers and was under suspension, at the time, pending investigation for malpractice at the time, but was the brother of one of the clients!!!! The water is clear, clean smelling and is running out of the first course of brickwork (300mm in from the edge of the foundations), suspiciously where the bricks haven't been pointed, to allow the water to run through maybe. There was also, what we suspect, was an attempt at a soakaway dug next to the foundations , so our guess is the builder knew he'd bodged the pipe, and tried to get round maybe having to dig out whatever he'd chucked inside the walls, he's tried to allow the water to drain away without anyone noticing?:rock: Short of them having to demolish most of their kitchen /study and dig out all their tiled floors to find the issue, I'm thinking a cellular soakaway, maybe with a pump/inspection chamber, and we lintel over the top to carry the weight of the steps? It's definetley soaking away, as there are no surrounding issues relating to the water, and seemingly no damp issues noticable in the extension.

[Tony McC]

Is this job in Putney, Mick?

I've had an antipodean-sounding lady on the phone at dinnertime with more or less the very same problem, but complaining her onsote builder was....well....East European.

I'd be tempted to ask the water board and/or a plumbist to take a look and se if the seepage can be stopped at source rather than try to accommodate it with a soakaway or similar.

[mickavalon]

No Tony, Birmingham. I sorted it today. I dug down at the join of the old and new, found the lead pipe and the T junction where it's jointed to go into the house. We turned off the internal house supply and I could still here it running on, along into under the extension. Tomorrow I'm going to cut away the damaged section, and join the mains back to the house supply with some 25mm plastic and some lead locks. I hate too think how much water they've lost over the last 12 years, must be millions!!! Basically an open tap under there house