Connecting surface water to sewer

[spydie]

We had an extension completed last year to our 200+ year house. Guttering on original house went into clay pipes and then no idea where they went... possibly some ancient soakaway. Anyway, the plans were to build a new soakaway for the purpose of the extension, which was done. However, as the gutters on the main house now had nowhere to go, they connected them to those on the new extension and then any water feed into the soakaway. The soakaway was only designed for the run off from the new roof and not the entire house, so in heavy rain it floods back out of the drain cover.

We spoke to building control officer who wrote us a letter to advise we connect the guttering to the sewer, including that as we are on clay the soakaway was not draining quick enough. Connecting it would literally mean having the guttering moved around a bit and the down pipe running into an existing drain opening that then runs into the sewer.

We can't get sign off until this is done (everything is signed off apart from this!) but the application to connect to a sewer (with Southern Water) is a minefield... they want drawings and all this technical detail of the new drains being laid and connections to manholes etc, when all we are doing is feeding a down pipe into an existing drain! We are totally baffled and don't really want to have to enlist the help of an architect or similar due to the cost involved.

Does anyone have any experience or advice? We've tried speaking to the unhelp line which was a waste of time.

In all likelihood you will need to consult someone to get drawings excetera as from a water industry perspective there is a risk that the excess surface water will overload the sewer system (as it has with your soakaway) then you and potentially any neighbours could be at risk of sewer flooding. The requirement to provide drawings etc. is to allow the water company to assess the risk of this, comparing levels and predicted flow amongst other things.

In Scotland, all surface water flows (new or major alterations to existing flows) require to be taken to a waterbody or soakaway unless there is no alternative but to take it to the sewer. This is to reduce risk of flooding and also the cost of providing waste water treatment to “clean” surface water.

P.S reference to Scotland is just for comparison!

The building control officer probably meant for you to connect to your own private drain which then feeds into the public drain. You don't need permission for that, only if you mess directly with the public water company owned drain.

Sorry didn't realise it was a zombie thread. Pink apples seems to have been reviving a whole load of zombie threads