Losingsleepoverdrainage

Today, we’ve spoken to a drainage expert who has told us that, contrary to what the binding rules state, we can actually produce up to 5000l of water to ground, not 2000l as we first thought. This chap works very closely with EA and British Water, and has not given us any reason to doubt anything else he’s advised, but I can’t seem to find anything regarding this in the rules. Any thoughts?

That’s also my understanding. Hopefully ‘Bucket of concrete’ will see sense if we tell him enough 🤞

Ha!

Yes I agree, although I think it’s been shortened rather than extended. Another neighbour (not connected to issue) remembers in last 30 years seeing water draining onto the road from further down the site, on the reg. Suspects the old farm manager cut it, as it suddenly stopped one day. See sketch. End point is pipe connected to a tank. Not a septic tank, but likely an old slurry tank from farm yard above. No longer serving original purpose though, just a chamber as far as we know. It has a corrugated roof just covered in soil, under an access track to the field beyond. And yep, land owner owns everything around us. Many thanks

This sounds interesting, will look into this with solicitor.

We’ve now had a conversation this morning with the land manager, where he threatened to chuck a bucket of concrete down our end of the pipe and cut us off! He claims we have no right to drain across the field towards the farm. We do. Nice chap! So much drama!

No worries! Thanks for the reply

Not sure if this is any more clear

Oh thank you, but Mr has managed to draft one up. Feel better soon!

We thought (had a doc to demonstrate amongst deeds and paperwork) it drained to a soakaway on the farm below us. Neighbours under this impression too. And we only discovered last week that the 4th house on our row was connected to our pipe, they were not aware of this. Our homes are converted from an old barn of the farm, which has since been purchased by the estate. No way of tracking down who fitted the drainage for all properties now, and I’d imagine they would own up to nothing. To clarify, we purchased our house at end of Dec 2019. I mentioned 2 years ago earlier in thread, it feels like 2 (we all lost a year or two somewhere) but was in fact 3 so pre new binding rules, but would still have been on radar of solicitors/estate agents etc. We should have had a drainage survey at the time, I know that.

Correct there isn’t.

So far, we’ve not managed to track him down. Emails and phone calls have gone unanswered. I might have to camp outside their gates until someone lets me in. But I definitely agree, this can’t go on.

Basic of most basic maps, it seems obvious to me what to do, and how to do it. Photo of end of pipe

I just wanted to thank everyone for their responses. It’s been frustrating and frankly quite lonely trying to find help and support so far, so to have had some great and thoughtful responses on here has given us a new energy to push forward, no matter how messy it gets. thanks all!

Yes, there is a river and mill stream around 150m downhill past the pipe, so if we have a STP in place, would sort the permit problem (as in no need for one). It seems like the only sensible way to make everyone - including land owner property - compliant.