You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
In an old 1920's house and the neighbours keep flushing baby wipes and their sewer outlet goes under our house.
I've been trying to determine who owns this sewer and if it makes any difference as I'm getting a bit sick of clearing their turds and baby wipes when it backs up and stinks out our house.
As far as I can tell it's on 3 levels.. neighbours either side seem to feed into a 'master sewer' but I can't tell where. I'm 100% certain non of our waste goes into this where its blocked but I don't know if both neighbours or only one feed into the blocked pipe.
From the manhole cover in our garden there is water feeding in at what seems to be a deeper level.. but that's just listening and something is running through presumably when one side or both switch on a tap.
Only one neighbour have a baby so I have a fairly good idea which one it is blocking the drain though that's obviously not actual proof and unfortunately this neighbour will try and get me to pay for anything and everything whilst directing HOW it's done.
I can ask the other neighbour to stick some dye in their drains but all that proves is that the other neighbour is or isn't using that drain.. not that someone else other than neighbour with baby
I don't want to end up paying for their (shit) but as far as I can tell their are no indications in the plans so I'm wary of approaching the water company.
You might find if it's an old shared drain it will have been adopted by the water company. I'd find out, and call them out next time it's blocked and get them to have a word with the neighbours.
Sounds like its almost certainly a shared sewer and is the responsibility of the water supply company.
I'm hoping it's one the water company maintains, I'm just wary I'm going to be charged or worse open a can of worms I end up paying or having to have my house floors taken up because its on my land.
I can't find any records - or it's circular Council refers me to Thames Water and Thames Water refers me to council. Houses on 3 sides are all redeveloped but non of them had any indication of sewage in the planning .. so I think if any plans existed back in the 1920's they are lost anyway ??
A bit of context: I'm wary of approaching this neighbour after making the mistake of consulting them when I replaced the fence between our properties. Short version is they decided who would be doing the work and presented me with a quote... not to mention the threats of ripping out any fence I put in that didn't meet their specification. Ultimately that ended when I pointed out that was criminal damage as was the fact they already painted and attached things to my existing fence... so they could just sod off and I'd apply for a court order for access if needed. The criteria included fence posts and tops being "perfectly level" which is a joke since the fence they maintain has about a foot height difference between some them.
Ultimately it's them improving their house and getting others to pay for it.. it's not nasty (as such) it's more that they seem to try and get as much paid for by others as they can in a trying it on sort of way.
So with that in mind I'm wary if I could end up with next door denying they are the ones blocking it and I end up paying or having my floors ripped up ...
Sounds like its almost certainly a shared sewer and is the responsibility of the water supply company.
We had a broken manhole cover fixed on a shared drain on our property recently. But maybe Yorkshire Water are just a better company than Thames. You should persist with them on the basis that you can prove it's shared, and escalate as necessary.
https://www.ofwat.gov.uk/regulated-companies/investigations/making-a-complaint/
Shared sewage drains are the water companies responsibility.
You may have to wait for the drains to block again before action though.
Then its emergency call out to water co
Knock or note through neighbours doors telling them to stop using toilets or shower as its flooding your house.
Then wait for drainage man. The water board will issue a stop being idiots letter if they find that the reason is baby wipes, and your neighbours have a baby
Shared sewage drains are the water companies responsibility.
You may have to wait for the drains to block again before action though.
Then its emergency call out to water co
Knock or note through neighbours doors telling them to stop using toilets or shower as its flooding your house.
Then wait for drainage man. The water board will issue a stop being idiots letter if they find that the reason is baby wipes, and your neighbours have a baby
This ^
My ex used to write all the procedures and policies for a water company on this subject. Sounds like a shared drain. You can put a call out to them if it regularly blocks up and isn't blocked now. I did that with a shared drain that blocked/slow drained whenever it rained, and they came and jetted it out. Chances are there will be evidence of baby wipes at all times
^ this, the operatives are not shy on knocking on doors and bollocking people for flushing inappropriate things
It's shared if the neighbours sewage is in it. The water company will repair and make good.
We had an issue where one neighbour had connected a toilet to the rainwater drain.
Because it had sewage in it it was the water company who had to come unblock it
The neighbour with the wrongly connected toilet still has a wrongly connected toilet flowing straight out to the river.
But maybe Yorkshire Water are just a better company than Thames.
TBH, no idea... I've dealt with most of them professionally (DPO's) and other than one which isn't either of those all have all seemed pretty reasonable and seem to be representing perfectly reasonable companies. I've also done a load of data modelling with Thames who seemed to be very genuinely trying to address issues they inherited.
It’s shared if the neighbours sewage is in it. The water company will repair and make good.
The problem is determining if its shared at the point of the blockage.
There seems to be no issue from the point ours feed in downstream... only upstream and I can't determine if the upstream is shared or just the baby house. (i.er. mine and other neighbour feed in after its ONLY baby house then its deemed as not shared but on my land.
They are old houses and I'm worried in part the drains need redoing and that is going to entail digging up below my house... and I know the neighbour would try and swing this my way as it would represent an improvement for them they don't have to pay for.
The water board will issue a stop being idiots letter if they find that the reason is baby wipes, and your neighbours have a baby
The question is what then?
Surely the water company have to prove they are their baby wipes (I may have seen a nappy as well but can't be sure) and they will just lie unless the drain is 100% in their part? (Having a baby isn't proof of flushing wipes... and people without babies might also use them etc.)
I very strongly suspect there are no written records so unless the water company can prove they come from them and the blocked pipe is 100% them I don't see what they can do other than a please don't be an idiot letter ??
I guess the question might be how would the water company go to prove it? If they can do a remote method then that's fine but I'm worried it will involve digging under my floors.
Well the water company will keep coming round to unblock it, and keep asking the neighbour to stop flushing wipes until the baby grows up.
They can't prove anything!
Well the water company will keep coming round to unblock it, and keep asking the neighbour to stop flushing wipes until the baby grows up.
They can’t prove anything!
Indeed, literally just got off a webchat.
They started off saying they had no sewers mapped through my property and I could pay for a property search and I went in circles a bit until a manager took over.
The whole avenue was built in the 1920's by the same developer so they must either know what the other houses have or there are a couple of hundred houses they have no idea?? I think it's extremely likely every house in the Avenue has the same arrangement.
The magic word was "lateral drain" ... as I can't confirm if this is a "shared drain" or "lateral drain" without paying for a survey.. I'm 100% sure its one of them as I know where all my waste pipes are .. and I strongly suspect this is a lateral drain (only 1 property but passing through my property) as opposed to a "shared drain".
Quite surprising they aren't keener to investigate and complete a map of the assets they are responsible for... if only because these wipes and nappies (I'm 80% I saw at least one nappy) are going to end up in their system anyway... but then the next magic word is "investigation".
Hi Stephen, we don't charge for investigations. If we investigate and find that the issue is on a private part of the pipework, we'll speak to the property owner to discuss their options. If we find that the issue, as you mention, is due to nappies and wet wipes we can also do a letter drop to the properties along the road to advise of the dangers and issues with putting those items down the loo to hopefully stop it from recurring - <name removed> (Manager)
Screwfix sell drain dye if thats any help
A bunch of nitwits clueless enough to be flushing nappies down the toilet are unlikely to take notice of a strongly worded letter. What other recourse is available?
What other recourse is available?
Cleaning the blocked pipe the wrong way...
What other recourse is available?
Hammer frozen sausages in their lawn?
Throw a can of red bull at them?
Wave a set of bombers at them?
Lots of possibilities.