Does your home have separate drainage systems for surface water and wastewater? If so, it’s crucial to find out whether there are any drain misconnections, as they can put your pipework and property at risk, as well as cause pollution. ‘The potential consequences of a misconnection that is left unaddressed can be disastrous,’ emphasises the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management.
The term drain misconnection means that different drainage systems have mistakenly been linked and different types of water are therefore being combined. In other words, surface water is being sent to drains and sewers that are only intended to carry wastewater, or vice versa. The issue is widespread: Wessex Water, which serves Bath and the surrounding area, points out that as many as 500,000 UK properties are believed to be affected by drain misconnections, which are usually the result of mistakes made by builders, plumbers or DIY enthusiasts.
Building homes with one drainage system for surface water and another for wastewater has been the norm since the 1970s; some older properties have separate systems, too. Keeping surface water and wastewater apart makes water management more efficient since only the latter needs to go to treatment plants such as Bristol’s water recycling centre. And it’s the legal responsibility of every homeowner with two drainage systems to identify and fix drain misconnections.
But don’t worry, the Mega-Rod Bath drains team has the necessary expertise and equipment (such as powerful CCTV drain survey cameras) to find and resolve drain misconnections at your property. Simply contact us today to get started.
Many people assume that surface water and wastewater are much the same, but this isn’t the case:
Drainage misconnections should never be ignored. They can cause serious problems for homeowners and are also ‘a major threat to UK rivers and seas’, says the Bristol Avon Rivers Trust.
If surface water is allowed to flow into your wastewater drains, it can overwhelm your wastewater drainage system, especially during severe weather. The drains may fracture or collapse under pressure, leading to backups, flooding, and subsidence. If your home has an off-mains wastewater drainage system, you may urgently require cesspit or septic tank emptying due to overflows. If it’s served by wastewater sewers instead and they become overwhelmed, their emergency relief systems will have to release contaminant-filled water into waterways, exposing people and wildlife to everything from decaying cooking fat and wet wipes to viruses.
If wastewater is allowed to flow into your surface water drains, the main problem is that dirty, contaminated water will enter your soakaway or the surface water sewers. Harmful substances will then pollute your home’s ground or waterways, potentially leading to illness and threatening the natural world.
Drain misconnections are usually unintentional. People can easily confuse surface water pipework with wastewater pipework if they aren’t very knowledgeable about drainage systems or don’t pay enough attention when making changes to them.
Drainage misconnections most often arise when:
Our trusted team can conduct a thorough CCTV drain survey at your property to locate drain misconnections and also make any necessary drain repairs. We can also liaise with reputable plumbers in relation to above-ground work (reinstalling a washing machine, say).
Your surface water and wastewater drainage systems will soon be flowing properly again.
To find and fix drain misconnections in Bath, Bristol and beyond, call Mega-Rod today on 01225 422980.
