Drains are one of the most vital features of your house’s infrastructure, but only when they’re clogged or damaged do, we recognize their importance. In most situations, significant fractures and blockages are very rare. However, if you have drainage issues, it’s crucial to determine whether they’re related to a shared drain or just your own.
In this post, our experts address how to determine whether you have a shared drain and who is responsible for repairs and maintenance if you do.
How Do I Know if I Have a Shared Drain?
Your bathroom’s toilets, showers, and sinks are connected to the sewers through a system of drains and pipes that carry wastewater before transporting it to the local sewage system.
If your property is linked to a private sewer or other waste disposals systems such as a sewage treatment plant or septic tank, you are solely responsible for any private drains. The landlord is responsible for maintaining and repairing any private drainage solutions utilized to remove household trash if you’re renting.
In most cases, a home is linked to the public sewage system rather than a private one. This is when drains are commonly shared. Professionals can check the sewage system and contact the local government and water companies to establish which drains are shared and which are yours.
In certain cases, a shared drain may be kept private. This happens when the general drain hasn’t been taken over by the local council or water authority because it is located on private, shared property. Terracotta or apartment buildings are examples of this sort of scenario. Once again, a drain survey can help you determine whether such conditions apply to your property.
Why Might You Have a Shared Drain?
Shared drains are frequently caused by a stormwater management system. Shared drains are quite common in mature cities where a large number of homes are connected to local sewage systems. Private drains frequently end up as public shared drains, resulting in a convoluted network of pipes and drains in a limited area.
For example, shared sewers frequently run down the length of a street. Each property on the street has its pipes and drains that connect it to the main shared drain. The sewage from your home travels down the drain and is carried to the shared drain. It’s then thrust into public sewers before being treated at a public sewage treatment facility.
Shared gutters are useful in increasing drainage capacity while also allowing for cost-effective shared sewers, which is especially crucial in fast-growing metropolises.
Who’s to Blame for a Shared Drain?
The local water authority may manage community shared drains, such as a pipe connecting a row of homes on the street. They are frequently in charge of these typical drains, so if there is an issue with them, such as blockages or breaks, it is up to the water authority to fix it.
If there is a privately maintained shared drain, such as in a block of flats, everyone who lives in the block linked to the private drain is equally responsible for it if anything goes wrong. If the obstruction is in the public section of a shared drain, water authorities will intervene and clear it away. They’ll also keep an eye on and repair any drains that fall under their jurisdiction.
However, if a private drain clogs first, the homeowner is held responsible. If it’s a shared, private drain becomes much more difficult.
In theory, all the property owners who use the same drain should be held equally responsible. Everyone should chip in and pay for repairs if there is a blockage, as this is stated in the bylaws. In practice, this can result in fights and arguments with neighbours, especially if it’s unclear whether the problem originated in the shared portion of the common drain or drainage that had not yet connected up with it.
If a dispute cannot be resolved, the council can force notice and charge everyone for the repair and maintenance according to bylaws if neighbours are unable to do so. If there are problems with a shared private drain network, it’s critical to know where you stand and what you’re responsible for.
The Importance of Drain Surveys
Because your home’s plumbing system is composed of a complex and thick network of pipes and drains that connect houses to sewage systems, it’s crucial to know which portions of a drain are yours, which belong to other homes, and which are subject to your local water authority.
A home drainage survey may help you map out your neighbourhood’s drainage network. You’ll be able to quickly identify who is responsible for removing any obstructions after you’ve found where the blockage is in the system.
Before you buy a new house, drain surveys might be done to give you an accurate picture of the property you’re buying. Drain inspections can also aid in the resolution of squabbles with adjacent homeowners if any clogs develop later.
Need More Help? Contact OMDI for More Information on Shared Drains
MMDI is a well-known and respected drainage company in Bath. With years of expertise developing, installing, and maintaining drainage solutions as well as numerous overflow drains and treatment services, our team of experts will manage all aspects of your project from start to end.
Please contact OMDI right away if you require information on shared drains or have any other queries relating to a drain inspection of your property to determine whether you have any shared drains, among other things. Call OMDI now for more information on shared drains and a free quote on any repairs required.
