Private Sewers Transfer – impact on Con29DW

Mark Jarvis, Severn Trent Retail and Utility Services Ltd

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Sewerage – Changes to Private Sewers• Background

• Poor materials• Insufficient gradients• Substantial liability on homeowners

• Legislation• Legislation has passed through Parliament.• The Water Industry (Schemes for Adoption of Private Sewers) Regulations

2011• Regulations require Water Companies to adopt sewers under S102 of the

Water Industry Act (1991).

• Timetable• Legislation came into effect 1st July• Anything connected to the public system as of that date will be adopted

from 1st October• Anything connected between July and 1st October will be adopted on 1st

April 2012.

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Example: Current situation as shown on sewer records

Public (combined) sewer

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Example: Current situation including unmarked private sewers

Private sewer

Private drains

Private lateral drain

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Example: Situation from 1st October

Public sewer

Public lateral drain

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Example: Situation from 1st October inc private drains

Public sewer

Private drains

Public lateral drain

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Sewerage – Identification of Private Networks

A full survey nationwide survey of assets would cost approximately £1 billion.

As this is impractical, Water Companies will be using records of known private sewers from sources such as Local Authorities and Developers

Remaining unidentified sewers will be plotted as part of normal Water Company operations

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Private Pumping Stations

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Exceptions and appeals

Sewer owners will be able to appeal to OFWAT if they wish to retain ownership of sewers

• For example, owners wishing to develop property• Register of pending/successful appeals

Sewers on crown land • e.g. prisons/MOD property

Surface water sewers which do not connect to the public system

Private drainage networks• e.g. shared sewer leading to a septic tank/cess pool

Drainage systems contained within a single curtilage• e.g. airports, caravan parks, some industrial/commercial

sites

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Impact on CON29DW responses• Q6 – Adoption Agreements

• Will be modified to reflect new adoption process (details of which due to be published this summer).

• Q7 – Public sewer within boundary of property• From October there will be un-plotted public sewers within property

boundaries.

• Q8 – Public sewer within 100 feet of the property• From October there will be additional un-plotted public sewers near

properties.

• Q9 – Building over agreements• Post transfer there will be public sewers that have been built over

without Water Company consent.

• Q21 – Sewer flooding• DG5 register doesn’t currently cover flooding from private sewers.

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Contact Details

Address:

Severn Trent Searches

PO Box 10155

Nottingham

NG1 9HQ

DX 723860 Nottingham 43

Tel: 0115 971 3550 Fax: 0115 971 3551

Websites: www.severntrentsearches.com

www.searchfaqt.com

Email: enquiries@severntrentsearches.com