I am hoping for some advice regarding our current drainage nightmare. Please stay with me, as this is a very long, and dull story but my husband and I are at the end of our tether now, and don’t know where to go from here….
1 - Accepted an offer on our house. During drainage inspection, it was discovered that the tank (on our land) is undersized, as it is shared between us and 2 other properties (installed over 60 years ago). We have also discovered that a further property connects to the drainage pipe (not our septic tank).
2 - Pipe from the tank runs over 150m across field behind our properties, belonging to a local estate. End of pipe is not where we were told it was when we purchased 2 years ago. Another property, also owned by estate connects to the pipe, which then drains onto rough ground, making it illegal. Our buyers are (quite rightfully) refusing to purchase whilst this is illegal.
3 - We have explored having a STP installed with a drainage field in the field behind us, however it isn’t possible as the percolation tests came back negative. Only options given to us now are
a) drainage mound installed in the field, meaning landowner will lose use of a large part of their field.
or
b) have a large STP installed to cover all 5 properties, have the end of the pipe made compliant by either a soakaway or running the pipe to a waterway, and share the cost with land owner and the 3 further properties on our row that connect to the pipe. Our drainage company have passed on these options directly from EA.
4 - Land owner is refusing to co operate, as they don’t believe they are not compliant without hearing it from the EA. They say that as they are not the ones trying to sell their property, they shouldn’t be obliged to have the works done. We have paid hundreds of £’s for investigations and reports from our drainage company, who’s findings the land owners don’t agree with. They say they only want it in black and white from EA that the end of their pipe is non compliant. Obviously, getting anyone from EA to check this seems impossible, unless we report them for illegal discharge in which case we also shoot ourselves and our neighbours in the foot.
Has anyone had a similar situation, or had dealings with the EA that hasn’t just been basic advice from someone who doesn’t quite understand the situation? Or would anyone be willing to forward any contacts that would be able to give us further advice. As I said, the options our drainage firm have given us have come directly from EA, but the land owners are having none of it. We are literally spending each week going around in circles....
Thanks
