Can you build over a public foul sewer?

Building close to or over a public sewer without having obtained formal approval is illegal. It may also jeopardise the future sale of your property.

What happens if you build over a sewer without permission?

If you have an extension built over a sewer without permission, you must either contact the water authority to obtain consent for the work, or obtain legal indemnity insurance.

Can you build over a sewer inspection chamber?

If you wish to build over an inspection chamber, it is essential to check whether you have permission to do so. In many cases, it may be necessary to move the chamber, have the pipes diverted or change the building plans to maintain access to the existing manhole.

Can you build over waste water pipes?

Building over chambers, valves, manholes, rising mains and connections is not permitted. A pre-construction CCTV inspection is required and a permit for accessing our wastewater network must be obtained.

How close can you build to a public sewer?

Design Advice for Building Over Public Sewers

Typical clearance required between new foundations and underground waste pipes is 600mm (or sometimes closer where sewers are shallower than 1.1m). Where sewers are deeper than 2m you need to leave a clear 1m distance to the new foundations.

Can you build a deck over a sewer line?

So, Can You Build Decking Over Drains or Manholes? Yes, you can. But when decking a patio or even a garage, remember to put in removable panels or inspection/maintenance hatches to allow access. You can even install joists, provided they don’t cross over manholes.

What is a building over sewer agreement?

This is a legal agreement between you and your water company that guarantees that your work will not only not negatively affect a public sewer located underneath or near the boundary of your build, and that they will still have a way to access the sewer if and when repair and maintenance work is required.

Can I cover an inspection chamber?

Our Guide. They are used to give access to maintenance works to allow them to inspect and carry out any repairs required to the underground services. They should always be covered by a fit for purpose manhole/access cover.

Can you build over a manhole?

To build over or near their sewers you then require their agreement in writing, which must be passed on when the property is sold. This agreement assures Thames Water that the foundations of the new development does not impact the sewer system.

Do public sewers run under houses?

They are usually behind the houses by a few metres. Sometimes people build extensions over them (this is not actually allowed). In terraces they usually run behind all the houses, parallel with the road, then come forwards to join the sewer under the road at the end of the terrace.

Can you put a concrete slab over a sewer line?

Note: If the structure is over, or within 600mm of a sewer main, you must concrete encase the sewer main regardless of the depth of the sewer. ➢ If the sewer has a depth less than 1.5 metres, and you are more than 600mm from the sewer, no foundation protection is required within the zone of influence of the sewer.

How deep is a sewer line buried?

Residential sewer line pipe depths range from as shallow as 18 to 30 inches in depth or 5 to 6 feet deep. However, in colder climates where freezes occur, you often see sewer line depths ranging from 4 to 8 feet deep. This ensures the pipes are below the freeze line.

What happens if I dont get a build over agreement?

Without a build over agreement, your local council’s building control department might not sign off your Building Regulations completion certificate – and without this, you may have problems when trying to sell your property.

What is a build over sewer indemnity policy for?

Build Over – Sewer Indemnity (SI)
The Build Over – Sewer Indemnity policy has been specifically designed for the situation where your property or part of your property has been erected over or within 3 metres of a sewer without a build-over agreement from the appropriate water authority.

Can you build an extension over an inspection chamber?

If there’s a manhole or inspection chamber that serves more than one property you won’t be able to build over it.

How do you cover a sewer drain?

How to Hide Your Sewer Clean Out Pipe – YouTube

Can you move a manhole to build an extension?

It’s not uncommon to need to move a manhole outside of your house – a few of our Reno Club community have had to move manholes prior to building their extensions in particular. And with many projects involving plumbing or building work, it’s likely that drainage below ground will have to be moved too.

What happens if you don’t have a build over agreement?

What is public sewer line?

Public sewers are owned and maintained by us and are often located to the front, side or rear of domestic properties (shown as pink pipes in the illustration below). Almost all sewers that are shared by two or more properties, or serve a single property but are located outside of the property boundary, will be public.

How long will PVC pipe last underground?

Based on stress regression, slow crack growth and fatigue testing, the service life of PVC pressure pipe should exceed 100 years. The Water Research Foundation reported that 100 years is a conservative estimate for a properly designed and installed PVC pipe.

Who is responsible for a build over agreement?

A Build Over Agreement is one with the water authority that sets out if you were undertaking work over or within 3 metres of a public sewer it will not negatively affect that sewer below and it also ensures that the water authority have sufficient access to the sewer so it can be repaired and maintained in the future.

Can I get a retrospective build over agreement?

Whilst retrospective Build Over Sewer Agreement may appear to be the ideal solution, the issue from the seller’s perspective is that retrospective agreement may take a long time to obtain (and many purchasers may not be able or willing to wait for retrospective agreement to be secured especially as there are no …

What happens if you dont get a build over agreement?

Can I cover inspection chamber?

Inspection Chamber Cover
The cover of an inspection chamber (often called a manhole cover or access cover) is used to prevent unauthorised access to the chamber and for general safety purposes. They are available in a range of different sizes, materials and weight load classifications to suit all needs.

What can I put around my sewer pipe?

Use sand around buried sewer or water pipes: Sand is bedded beneath and around buried plumbing lines to avoid damage.