Who do I contact? Please help if you can

[ChocolatChip]

Hi there,
My husband and I moved into a property about 4 months ago. We recently began to notice that there serious problem with the drains. Our house is basically at the end of a large (mostly council) housing estate, we have reason to believe that the waste coming up from the drain in our garden is not just our own and think it could be a health hazard (there is human excrement coming up through the drains). Should we contact the council first, or because our house is a private property will they fob us off and tell us to hire a plumber?
Thanks

[rockyracoon]

I think you need to contact you water board. If the pipes are public they will repair FOC I think, whatever happens I think it will be them fixing the problem.

[maggiebee]

Agree with RR, contact the water board. I have a problem from time to time with this as one of the main traps is in my garden. The sewer pipes are cleared free of charge.

[boxtops]

Definitely, your water board, whichever one is responsible for your drainage and foul water outtake. They will have plans of the drain runs.

Your deeds should have included plans of drain runs and would have shown if you have a common manhole cover on your land.

[chrissa1]

I would agree with rockyracoon. Also, I was told by council workers who were going down our street taking up everyones drain covers in their drives and cleaning them out, that before it was the householder's responsibility to check this drain but now it has become the council's responsibility. So, a call to them would be good too.

[dennisb66]

I had this problem,,I live in South Yorkshire so I called the water board they informed me that the sewage drain was the responsibility of 7 Trent water and they gave me my map reference.I contacted them and they came out and cleared the blockage about 8 doors down,no charge.

[ChocolatChip]

I did just look on the local water board website, where they explained that as Chrissa said, if it's within our property, then it's our responsibility. However, as Boxtops stated, there are 2 common manhole covers in our backgarden (where the problem is occuring)

[ChocolatChip]

Thanks for all your help everyone by the way, I will contact the water board asap! :)

[CW1]

I'd ring your water board today. They'll take the health issue seriously & get someone round asap, I would imagine.

[boxtops]

agree with CW1 - if you have sewage coming up in your garden, it's a health hazard - there should be someone there today for emergencies.

[ChocolatChip]

Thank you everyone. I have contacted them and they are sending someone out in the next 24 hours.

[KJN]

I think you will find that as it is a shared drain , which it is according to,your posting then the responsibility is down to the water board, makes sense , as it is shared you can't easily find out who was to blame for the blockage.

[Dodger666]

Since October 2011 the home owner is only responsible for the drain until it joins a shared drain/sewer. The diagram below gives details.

http://www.draindomai...is%20it%20anyway.html

[gingejbee]

Dodger is spot-on: Any lengths of shared sewers/lateral drains are now owned by your water company ( NOT board) and they have full responsibility for unblocking/relaying etc.

[4getmenot]

Use your Building Insurance, they will get a company to come out and do a survey of your drain. They will find out where the problem is and who is liable for payment, if a shared drain between ou and neighbours they will sort who owes what percentage of any repairs. If not anything to do with your property you shouldnt be charged a thing.

[buildersmate]

Gingejbee is almost spot-on. Ownership of drains was not transferred, but the maintenance responsibility was transferred to the relevant water utility company in the area from 1st October 2011 (in Englanfd & Wales, at any rate).
Hence it is nought to do with either the council or your building insurance company, who most definitely will not send anyone out, in spite of what the above responder may believe.

[4getmenot]

well when I worked in the drain business for insurance companies they did. But that was 2010 so if you say it all changed in 2011 then maybe not. God I'm so last year lol

[gingejbee]

buildersmate: re ownership. I have a copy of the legal document from my water supply company concerning the changes in the law. This clearly states that "the ownership and maintenance for private sewers and lateral drains has been transferred to us". It goes on to say that they "have become a public sewer and public lateral drain belonging to this water company".

[buildersmate]

Gingejbee
On the other hand this information from Defra (and indeed any other website I care to look at) refers to responsibility for 'maintenance and repair transferring'.
http://www.defra.gov..../water/sewage/sewers/
It's probably a moot point and one of little consequence, but I think the issue is that the water company can't actually own the pipes that are stuck under someone else's ground. What they can have is a legal entitlement to the free passage of sewage through your land via an easement (and this clearly requires pipes of some sort) plus (as from 1st October 2011) the legal responsibility to maintain and repair them.

[gingejbee]

Buildersmate - I can see what you are saying and you may feel that we are talking semantics here but......
I have looked at the document that my water company sent to me (entitled "Important legal changes to the ownership of your sewers") and after quite a bit of the usual legal speak it goes on to say "that the ownership will transfer to the water company and become a public sewer or public lateral drain belonging to the Company".
I have no doubt that if push came to shove (in a court case, for example), the above wording would leave no doubt as to who owned the pipework.