Install drain beside garden shed - connect to surface water drainage

[steve_f]

Hi, I have a prolem with standing water in my garden, and this garden often enters my shed. There can be 6-8 inches of water after a few days heavy rain, and it can take a week to 10 days to sink into the ground.

I am going to be getting a landscaper to do some work in the garden, and at the same time, I want to get a plumber install a drain outside the shed, approx 50 feet from the surface water drain for my house.
The landscaper would be putting some paving in, and the paving would tilt towards the drain.

Can this be done? I want it to be completely legal and above board.
Do I need permission from Thames Water?

Many thanks for reading.
Steve

 

[Whl4852]

I shouldn't think you would need permission from Thames valley water, nor would I mention it to them. As for the regs on new driveways you could google it, they change all the time, what with permeable paving etc. hope this helps. Welcome to the forum!

 

[lame plumber]

dig in some big soakaways and run some field drains into them, ie permiable pipe covered in gravel. you arent allowed to put surface water into main drains

 

[AWheating]

he said surface water drain, so should be fine. unless the volume is to high.

get the landscape company to do it for you.

 

[stevetheplumber]

i know on drive ways you can no longer run them onto the pavement/road they have to have a soak away fitted which is bad news in london as the soakaways dont work in clay soils not sure if its the same for paved areas at the rear youll get a definative answer on pavingexpert - Paving, Drainage and Hard Landscaping Advice theres an excellent forum attached called the brew cabin

 

[jrmurray]

I agree with lame plumber, a big sockaway would probs ve your best option and it'll be the cheapest as well.

 

[old_skool55]

You can put surface water in foul sewer systems.....but not the other way round. Re: lame plumber's reply. Hence backinlet gulley's from sinks etc being open, they take in storm water all day, but you could'nt pipe a toilet soil pipe into a storm drain.

Dig down 1.5 mtrs the same size as your slab in size, fill it with 10mm ballast, buy a surface gulley and cover. (straight spigot) mark centre of slab and draw outline of gulley grid on slab.
Angle grind square out, cement slab in place, drop in gulley (slightly lower than slab) about 10mm, this allows for water to be swept into recess. jobs a goodun.

 

[chris watkins]

You can put surface water in foul sewer systems.....but not the other way round. Re: lame plumber's reply. Hence backinlet gulley's from sinks etc being open, they take in storm water all day, but you could'nt pipe a toilet soil pipe into a storm drain.

Dig down 1.5 mtrs the same size as your slab in size, fill it with 10mm ballast, buy a surface gulley and cover. (straight spigot) mark centre of slab and draw outline of gulley grid on slab.
Angle grind square out, cement slab in place, drop in gulley (slightly lower than slab) about 10mm, this allows for water to be swept into recess. jobs a goodun.

Sorry but NO you can't run new surface water drains into foul sewers !!! & this has been the case for a very long time old skool.
Sounds like the area around the shed or possible the whole area may have a problem, it could just be compacted but it would be worth carrying out a percolation test before you go digging holes 1.5M deep ?
[DLMURL]http://www.fdean.gov.uk/media/Assets/Planning-BC/documents/approved%20documents/Percolation_test_method_to_calculate_area_of_drainage_field_for_Septic_tanks.pdf[/DLMURL]

 

[steve_f]

Thanks, I don't want a soakaway however, my garden is clay for a long way down, with high water table.
So if I dig a hole I hit water after going about a foot down.

I did dig a test soakaway and filled it with water, it doesn't drain away for a very long time, 3 or 4 days for 200 litres of water to disappear.

I want a proper drain at the bottom of the garden, regardless of cost.

 

[lame plumber]

point being though you cant run surface water to a main drain, the drainage/ sewage system is overloaded as it is and cant take any more surface water. best option would be v large soakaway and you could also consider water storage system for use in house for wcs/hoses etc, win win option

 

[steve_f]

point being though you cant run surface water to a main drain, the drainage/ sewage system is overloaded as it is and cant take any more surface water. best option would be v large soakaway and you could also consider water storage system for use in house for wcs/hoses etc, win win option

Is that definitely true? Do you have a source for the regulation that forbids it?
Only asking because not everyone is in agreement on this topic about this.

I am talking about the rainwater drain that my house gutters and rainpipes lead to, not a foul water drain.
The drain is on my provate property, it's not on a public road.
I know plenty of people who have a tap in their garden and below it, a rainwater drain. I presumed this would be connected to the rainwater drainage network.

Many people already use a pump to direct surface water and excess flooding into the very same drain, is that not the same as what I want to do, but I want to do it properly and permanently? I am trying to fix a problem the proper way.


Would really appreciate confirmation one way or another.
Thanks

 

[chris watkins]

Is that definitely true? Do you have a source for the regulation that forbids it?
Only asking because not everyone is in agreement on this topic about this.

I am talking about the rainwater drain that my house gutters and rainpipes lead to, not a foul water drain.
The drain is on my provate property, it's not on a public road.
I know plenty of people who have a tap in their garden and below it, a rainwater drain. I presumed this would be connected to the rainwater drainage network.

Many people already use a pump to direct surface water and excess flooding into the very same drain, is that not the same as what I want to do, but I want to do it properly and permanently? I am trying to fix a problem the proper way.


Would really appreciate confirmation one way or another.
Thanks

Part H of the Building Regulations H3 (the Law)
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_AD_H_2010.pdf

 

[old_skool55]

So it must be illegal for me to jet a sewer out then, of which uses 75 gallon of clean water every 4 minutes?, also, most urban gulleys discharge both clean and foul into the main line.

 

[steve_f]

Yep, that can't be right.

The recent crazy rain in London\Essex has my garden flooded again. I have pumped the water (in excess of 2000 litres) from a small sump in the garden into the stormwater drain by the house.

Really would like a permanent plumbed solution to this, not just a soakaway.

 

[Ermintrude]

You should contact your local water authority. SFA6 sewers for adoption 6 is has sections on standards for private drainage, design and capacity tables.

However you may wish to reconsider, when drains are overfull they discharge into low level points on system,


Why not by a 3 m length of ultra rib. 225 or a plastic road gully. Dig it in and then install a cover so flood water can get in. Fit a sump pump with float switch, wen hole is full pump runs to a drain. You could duct outlet of pump to a gully? That's almost legal as technically you should be allowing water to settle to avoid sediment in drains.

 

[steve_f]

Thanks. I will look at the road gullys.

My plan B at present is to build an approx. 1.5m3 soakaway at the lowest point where the water gathers, using those Aquacell or Polystorm crates.
At least the water would have somewhere to go rather than spreading across my lawn.

 

[Ermintrude]

Aqua cell is a water retention system, just a big tank in ground, plastic crates just make void and membrane holds water in-place. If your water table is high be carful as buoyancy is a problem with attenuation tanks, mostly rigid ones though. Traditional soak-away stone filled hole. Use dust free aggregate.

 

[steve_f]

Thanks Zebedy, I would be using a permeable membrane to let water in but keep leaves, stones etc out.

I want the water to gather there (rather than on my lawn) and soak into the ground over time.

 

[Ermintrude]

Good application would put a catch pit or something to stop leaves and silt covering membrane. Also would surround hole with pea gravel opposed to sand?

 

[steve_f]

Yeah, that's the plan. Not planning on running any pipes into or out of it, that's a step too complex for me doing it on my own.
It's at the low point of the garden where the surface water is deepest so hopefully the water wil find its way in there.

 

[Ermintrude]

You could when back filling make a few French drain type channels under lawn. Dig 4" wide 8" deed trench, line with membrane and then fill with clean 10-20mm stone. Wrap membrane over top then cover in soil. Or use 50mm wavin land drain? If you live in hozepipe ban area why not store water for plants in summer?

 

[beststriker]

The best choise is permeable paving.
With that you have drain and stable floor.

In granite setts for example!