What you need to know about drainage and building codes in 2023
One of the most crucial components of our homes are the drains, but we typically only pay attention to them when something goes wrong. Drainage-related building codes are intended to reduce the likelihood of this happening and to guarantee that wastewater and effluent are adequately conveyed into the sewers without contaminating our houses or the surrounding area.
You will need to consider the impact of your project on drainage if you are undertaking significant home renovations or construction projects, including anything from a full addition to converting a room into a utility room to constructing a new road. This may be the case if your property's wastewater is being transported by pipes, or if a hard surface, such as a new driveway or patio, is directing surface water into the sewer system rather than into the gutters of surrounding homes or a road.
Ownership of the sewers and drains
One of the main issues you’ll come across when dealing with anything to do with sewers is who owns them or has responsibility for them. If the drains you’ll be affecting are owned by your local water company, you’ll need to get their permission before carrying out any work. Without the appropriate permissions, your project will be illegal and you may well be subject to hefty fines, as well as being ordered to take down or remove any work you have done.
Public sewer locations can be found at your local government office, or you can contact a professional drain firm, like Environmental Waste Management, to have a CCTV drain survey done to determine the direction, depth, and size of any drains on your property.
UK Government’s Approved Document H
The government's Approved Document H contains almost all of the information you need to know about building laws pertaining to drains and drainage. This provides advice on a variety of topics, including "foul and surface water and rainwater, and sanitary waste disposal, including sewage structures and their upkeep" along with "refuse storage of solid waste materials for dwellings, waste disposal, wastewater treatment, pollution prevention, and the use of appropriate, separate drainage systems." Additionally, there are requirements for building over and around sewers, the construction of hygienic pipes, discharges, and cesspools.
You or your contractor should refer to Approved Document H while designing your project to ensure that you are fully in compliance with the law. The following are a few examples of the types of work that may need approval:
• How will your work affect existing sewers if you plan to construct over them?
• Where will surface water be diverted by your new patio or driveway?
• Are the pipes that connect the appliances in your kitchen and/or bathroom the proper size and orientation to handle the water flow?
• Are they linked to the proper drain so that wastewater from your toilet or washing machine enters a foul water sewer for treatment rather than a surface sewer for release into the environment?
•Are the sanitary pipes ventilated to keep bad odours from entering the building?
Additionally, Approved Document H contains rules describing what you must know and do if you possess a cesspool or septic tank.