Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Blocked sewer drain, can't believe the timescale

29 replies

MiMiChuna · 19/02/2024 09:34

I have a shared drain along the rear of my house, with a drain cover in my garden. I am the last before it joins the main sewers I think, 3 other houses worth of drain juice before us.

After a gurgling downstairs toilet back end of last wk, but everything still seemingly moving, I decided to chk the drain yest eve. HORROR the thing was full of brown pungent water. Only 3 brick layers left clear from the top.

Booked dyno for today, but after googling the situation discovered as it's a shared drain the waterboard are responsible for (UU here). Phew.

Or not....

...as it turns out their timescales mean the first scheduled appt they can offer to look at it is 1 wk tomorrow! WTF!

Alternatively I can go on an open waiting system which means I will be visited at the latest by close of business 1 wk today, but possibly sooner, but with a phonecall before anything between a tiny 5-20 mins notice, but if I miss them I'd go back into the queue again. I have to be in when they visit even though I've sent a photo & they could access my garden via an open path around it (though no gate so would need to jump the wall, which plenty of workmen have done).

I can't believe anyone is expected to wait for a service like this, in this way, for so long.

Worse for me, as a lone parent I have no one to tag team with for nipping out, one child is in recovery from an operation last wk, one child has toileting issues which needs regular flushing, one child has an outdoorsy residential the day they return to school we need to shop for this wk, it's half term & we'd planned to visit my only parent who has late stage dementia & doesn't live near us this wk, plus I have post-op dressing appts to take my child to.

So what would you do?

Wait a wk for the appointment whilst hoping the crap doesn't pour over the drain lid into your garden & potentially into your house?

Or hope for a sooner appointment but be prisoner in your own home for upto 1 week, sacrificing half term & all basic plans (dressings, parent visit, essential gear shopping for residential)?

Or hope for a sooner appointment whilst taking the risk of going out for childs dressings, parent visit & residential trip shopping that doing so may miss the waterboard visit & delay them sorting their pipe even longer?

I can't believe they expect ppl to live like this, with a health hazardous situation. It's like the drain has to spill over & soil things to be seen. In fact the advice I was given was carry on as usual with water usage, so almost encouraging it to flood!

Anyone with experience, especially with UU, how long did it take them to come out for you?

OP posts:
Original poster
MiMiChuna · 19/02/2024 10:03

Honestly, I feel like crying.

OP posts:
teenagetantrums · 19/02/2024 09:57

That sounds like a long wait, wessex water came and unblocked our shared drain within 3 hours, twice over last few years. But our toilet was making noises for over a week before we realised what it was, you might be ok to wait. Its probsley draining through but slowly.

MontyDonsBlueScarf · 19/02/2024 09:53

That sounds horrendous, my sympathies.

Can you call the water company and ask to speak to the vulnerable customers team? Recovery from an operation and toileting issues may qualify you for special consideration. Or, ask the neighbours who will also be benefiting if there is some way you can come up with a rota to let let the water company have access?

Failing that I'd be phoning a reputable drain clearance company and seeing whether they can do it and what they'd charge. We have one locally that comes out within hours and is quite reasonable. You could let the neighbours know that if they can't help with availability then this will be the only realistic option, and as it's a job you're doing for everyone, you'd like them to share the cost.

CasperGutman · 19/02/2024 09:52

That's (all too literally) a bit shit. When we called Thames Water, admittedly a few years ago now, their contractor Lanes came out within a couple of hours.

The most impressive was when I called National Grid about a power outage last year, though. Someone was at the house in 25 minutes, and the fault with their equipment, upstream of the consumer unit, was repaired in another 20.