Soil and surface water

[pm1]

On a Victorian block of flats the roofer is recommending connecting gutters into soil stacks and removing the downpipes. The block is 3 storeys high with a basement and approx 40m. The drainage is all on the rear elevation of the block and at the moment there are 6 soul stacks and 6 downpipes.

What are the advantages of doing this and what are the risks?

 

[dontknowitall]

Advantage is it would look much neater but disadvantage is the potential for blockages within the soil stack (presumably running inside the building).

Not something I'd like to have done. Imagine a jackdaw falling in, drowning then getting stuck somewhere in the soil pipe. Then imagine the puzzle of where the smell is, the cost of accessing the pipe, the difficulty of the job, the repairing afterwards, etc, etc.

There are good reasons for having the system designed as it is. Being Victorian it's obviously shown the test of time. Not sure much of our present plumbing will be around in another 100 years or so.

I'm not saying, "Don't do it" but I am saying that I wouldn't do it/have it done.