surface drainage Surface Drainage: advice please

[ToughButterCup]

The end in mind : connect the surface drainage to the discharge side of  our package treatment plant.

Is that allowed?

 

Our foul drainage goes into a digester. That discharges via a 100 meter pipe to a stream

I'm about to sort out our land drainage. I want to have a simple French drain - or two.

Can I connect up the surface water discharge to the pipe on the discharge side of the package treatment plant?

 

I've looked at H3 Section 3 and the relevant paragraphs of H1  and find nothing to prohibit it. But then I may have missed something.

Advice please!

Ian

[PeterW]

Short answer... NO...

 

Longer answer .... Discharge from a digester is approved by EA based upon the amount of effluent leaving the discharge pipe, not the tank (who knew....) So if you add to it, then you will increase your discharge rate and "could" have problems with EA.

 

Best advice is ring EA - they can be helpful ..! They may suggest just running a second pipe next to the first - this doesn't need to be 110mm UPVC and could just be cheap unperforated land drain.

[ToughButterCup]

Mmmm. 

In the long and winding road that lead (to my door?) to discovering the proper authority for our package digester discharge, we found that the EA isn't. That's because we will be discharging to a small stream. And the EA have transferred responsibility for small waterways to the LPA.

 

We already have one land drain which simply discharges to the neighbour's  field as surface water: the pipe invert is above the level of the neighbours field. 

 

@PeterW can you point me to the relevant bits of paper, please?

[Daedalus]

Some small watercourses are the responsibility of the LPA's now with regards to surface water management.

 

Whilst discharge from a disgester will normally always be the EA's responsibility. Surface water discharge is then dealt with by the local SUDS guy at the council.

 

In my experience you are only allowed to discharge surface water directly to a stream if both conventional SUDS are not an option and there is no suitable surface water drainage around the property.

 

Then ... discharge to the stream should be limited to greenfield runoff rates. Of course this is superfluous for one property therefore see what you can agree with LPA / EA.

 

You should be able to find out if this is under the EA's jurisdiction if it is listed as a 'main river' here: http://maps.environment-agency.gov.uk/wiyby/wiybyController?x=357683.0&y=355134.0&scale=1&layerGroups=default&ep=map&textonly=off&lang=_e&topic=floodmap#x=374881&y=400113&lg=1,2,10,&scale=1

 

Be aware however some very small trickles are still run by the EA so its best to check.

[Gone West]

My house is 700mm above road level and the road slopes gently past my property. My BCO wanted me to discharge surface water into a SUDs system. I pointed out that the water table is at road level through the winter and disposing of that amount of water wouldn't be possible using SUDs. I spoke to the local highways dept. who agreed to let me discharge directly onto the road and the BCO accepted the idea. I live out in the sticks, the water flows away down the lane into a culvert and eventually into a stream. Highways and BC were pragmatic and helpful. It is often the case that they will accept a sensible option if put to them.