Washer empties into rainwater drain.

[S4M]

I've been browsing the forums, and noticed something along the lines of 'grey water shouldn't discharge into surface water drain'.

Could someone explain what 'grey water' is please?

My washing machine discharges into the same pipe as my kitchen sink, along with rainwater from the gutters. Is this OK? I have a feeling its not. If so, how long ago were the regulations changed? I'm assuming it was OK at one time. Does it just apply to new builds, or do old houses, like mine, have to be altered to fit new regs?

Cheers.

 

[ADM360]

I think, but would need to double check, that grey water dirty water but not sewage ie. sewage from the toilet. there's also 5 catagories of water I think, fresh clean from mains up to toxic waste!!

as for which drian to put it in to is hard with out being on site. as there are three main types of drain systems.

seperate system - dirty/grey water to mains drian, and surface/ rain water to land drians.

combined system - all water goes in to mains drains.

semi combined - some rain water goes in to mains drian and some to land drains.

an easy way, but not always accurate is if it discharges into a trapped gully it is mains!!

so in anwser to your question. yes and no!!!

Hope this is of some kind of help!!!!

 

[Destroyer2813]

Some older properties are on a combined system Adm stated above were everything goes down one drain, then it all changed and was seperated so the sewage works wernt treating rain water unnecesarly

 

[midge]

Most water authorities add a charge to the water bill for putting rain water into their sewers. If they are separate you can get the charge waived.

Washing machine and sink should definately discharge into the sewer though.

 

[REDSAW]

local building regs.
had one last year that failed building control for that.

 

[S4M]

Thanks for the replies. I'm going to have a good look tomorrow, could be a trapped gully, which, I think, would make it OK.
There's definitely rain going in though.

 

[ADM360]

As I said before, a trapped gully is a good indicater but a deffianative anwser, but yes depending on the type of system that you have it is ok for rain water to go into the mains drain.

 

[MRDrip]

Most water authorities add a charge to the water bill for putting rain water into their sewers. If they are separate you can get the charge waived.

I can confirm this as we were able to get the charge waived. All our rainwater goes to a local lake - the swans and ducks don't like oil or other crud put down the rainwater drains

 

[adam84]

Water coming from an appliance should discharge in to the "foul" drain with the toilet rather than rain water however it depends on the age of the property, if its an older property the drains could be combined so it wouldnt matter, houses built around 1965+ might have seperate or mixed and modern house will certainly have seperate drains.