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We can submit for your sewer agreements should your project require an application.
The water authority is responsible for maintaining public sewers, which are sometimes located within the boundaries of properties. You must get their agreement to carry out any building work over the top of or within 3 metres of a public sewer to ensure that no damage is caused to it or restrictions made to the way they use and maintain the sewer.
A sewer is a pipe that serves more than one property. All drainage pipes (that connect to the main network) are now public sewers except where only one property is served by the existing pipe, which is known as a drain. A drain is privately owned and maintained to the property boundary by the home owner, once it crosses the property boundary this pipe becomes the water authorities responsibility.
Public sewers can often run through private land, under houses and through gardens. Any building works within 3 metres of these sewers needs to be approved by the water authority (Severn Trent around here) to ensure that the sewerage network is not compromised. Some minor public sewers serving a number of houses, often run along the back of older properties. As these may not show up on the sewer maps it is important that you investigate at an early stage if you suspect that a public sewer could be present.
• Prevent the sewer collapsing. The extra weight of a new building above a sewer could cause the sewer to collapse, resulting in structural damage to the new building, interrupted drainage from other properties and wastewater flooding. In these instances the sewer will need to be repaired quickly and this may involve taking down the building.
• Ensure they have access to carry out maintenance and repairs.
Although responsibility for the control of building over public sewers rests with Local Authorities through the Building Regulations, the Authorities are required to consult us where building over a sewer might occur. It may help to speed up your Building Regulations application if they are already aware of your proposals.
An application to the water authority, and possibly CCTV surveys will be required if your site contains public sewers.
