Rainwater, who is responsible?

[Cleighton]

Having recently completed a self build, the land next to us has been offered for sale. It comes within the LDP but its purchase is more for extending our plot for garden/recreational use. There is a 600mm pipe which discharges onto the land, which services all the road drains from a nearby mountain road. As you can imagine, when it rains ( which it does quite frequently in Wales!) there is a stream running across the land for approximately 60 metres making it boggy before reaching a river. My question is, does Welsh Water or Natural resources Wales (Environment Agency) have responsibility for this? If so can I request that they change its course or pipe it across the land. What are my, if any rights as I would like to keep the land as drained as possible for use.

Many Thanks

[PeterW]

I would dig a culvert and let the water use that - if its only garden then make a feature of it..???

[Cleighton]

It's 60 metres plus and runs like a torrent in bad weather washing away anything in front of it, we have layed concrete at its exit from the pipe as it has washed the ground away.

[Temp]

Not sure about Wales but in England there is a thing called Riparian rights...

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riparian_water_rights

 

My understanding is that this is a bit like a right of way. If someone has been discharging water onto your land for long enough they acquire a right to keep doing so. Likewise you have a right to keep discharging when it leaves your property via the river. Wikipedia suggests it's your responsibility to deal with it as it crosses your land subject to approval by the agencies...

 

 

 

Quote

Duties arising from the model include the following:

 

• Pass on the flow of water without obstruction, pollution or diversion affecting the rights of others.
• Maintain the bed and banks of the watercourse and to clear any debris, whether natural or artificial, to keep any culverts, rubbish screens, weirs and mill gates clear of debris.
• Be responsible for protection of land from flooding and cause no obstructions, temporary or permanent, preventing the free passage of fish.
• Accept flood flows even if caused by inadequate capacity downstream, but there is no duty to improve the drainage capacity of a watercourse.

 

 

Edited June 26, 2020 by Temp

[Temp]

worth a look..

 

https://www.npt.gov.uk/PDF/landdrainageresponsibilities.pdf

 

 

 

[Ferdinand]

45 minutes ago, Cleighton said:

Having recently completed a self build, the land next to us has been offered for sale. It comes within the LDP but its purchase is more for extending our plot for garden/recreational use. There is a 600mm pipe which discharges onto the land, which services all the road drains from a nearby mountain road. As you can imagine, when it rains ( which it does quite frequently in Wales!) there is a stream running across the land for approximately 60 metres making it boggy before reaching a river. My question is, does Welsh Water or Natural resources Wales (Environment Agency) have responsibility for this? If so can I request that they change its course or pipe it across the land. What are my, if any rights as I would like to keep the land as drained as possible for use.

Many Thanks

Swimming hole or small natural lake?

 

(Depends on the water of course)

 

Gets you boasting rights over mere wildlife meadows. 

Edited June 26, 2020 by Ferdinand

[nod]

You could dig a trench and extend the 600 mil pipe across the field into the river 

It would make the land more useable 

[Cleighton]

23 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

Swimming hole or small natural lake?

 

(Depends on the water of course)

Never though of that? it's an option.

[Cleighton]

10 minutes ago, nod said:

You could dig a trench and extend the 600 mil pipe across the field into the river 

It would make the land more useable 

I thought of that, but at £300 for 5m lengths its out of my range at the moment, we have already bought two to get it out of the way.

[Ferdinand]

20 minutes ago, Cleighton said:

I thought of that, but at £300 for 5m lengths its out of my range at the moment, we have already bought two to get it out of the way.

What sort of pipes are you needing?

 

Concrete or plastic? 

 

Don't buy this at all often, but when I buy heavy things my best local place in Buildbase Civils and Lintels.

Edited June 26, 2020 by Ferdinand

[Cleighton]

1 hour ago, Temp said:

worth a look..

 

https://www.npt.gov.uk/PDF/landdrainageresponsibilities.pdf

 

 

 

Interesting read, definitely worth contacting the LA. Thanks Temp

[Cleighton]

58 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

What sort of pipes are you needing?

 

Concrete or plastic? 

 

Don't buy this at all often, but when I buy heavy things my best local place in Buildbase Civils and Lintels.

Coopers Civils was the last place we purchased the plastic 600mm surface water twinwall pipe from. It certainly does the job as when we moved here the 600mm concrete pipe was connected to a chamber with a 4" soil pipe on the exit. As you can imagine, it did not work, so to protect our site, we installed the 600mm.

[nod]

1 hour ago, Cleighton said:

I thought of that, but at £300 for 5m lengths its out of my range at the moment, we have already bought two to get it out of the way.

10k well spent if you have it 

 

[Cleighton]

??I have looked at other posts on here and it will be interesting, as it is not a watercourse of any kind only surface water drainage. will be difficult to keep a small pond full during the summer months?. I may make a few calls on Monday to NRW and the local Authority.