Soakaway to main sewerage system

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    • #278945
      Avatar photoSergio Morales

        I have a soak away in the middle of my driveway that can not cope with the amount of rainfall we have now. Is it possible to link it to the main sewerage system that is about 5′ away. If so do I have to inform the Water Board or council.

      • #299651
        Avatar photoJohn Aldrich1
        Participant

          NickM, it is probably possible to connect a yard drain to the sewer system, but this practice is strictly prohibited by the sewer service providers in most jurisdictions of the world. The accumulative impact of many of these illegal connections would be devastating at the sewage treatment plant during a storm event.

          The solution to your problem is to expand the capacity of your “soak away.” A new line of drainage products is manufactured by a company called Invisible Structures, Inc. You can view these products on their website.
          http://www.invisiblestructures.com

        • #299652
          Avatar photoSylvanLMP
          Participant

            John Aldrich wrote on 30 March 2001 at 02:09 PM:
            NickM, it is probably possible to connect a yard drain to the sewer system, but this practice is strictly prohibited by the sewer service providers in most jurisdictions of the world. The accumulative impact of many of these illegal connections would be devastating at the sewage treatment plant during a storm event.

            Nick PLEASE call a professional NOTXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX for advice.

            “But this practice is strictly prohibited by the sewer service providers in most jurisdictions of the world.”

            This rash statement from a personXXXXXXX to plumbing is truly AMAZING, I wishXXXXXXXXXXX would READ every code before saying it is PROHIBITED.

            Actually a lot of older cities do not have the luxury of having a storm and sanitary sewer system BUT A combined system thus they allow storm water to enter this combined sewerage piping

            Saying “strictly prohibited” is amazing does this mentality take into consideration old cities where the sewerage systems are well below city streets and placing another pipe for storm disposal is virtually impossible.

            Are folks just supposed to let stagnant water just sit there breeding all types of mosquitoes and bacteria?

            Contact your local Master Plumber or Drainer.

            “most jurisdictions of the world” I am SURE the deserts of the world could care less where the storm water is discharged

            Calling a local “professional” is the way to go.

            Ask to see the license of the person you hire. good luck and always consider the source of the folks your getting advice from

            [Edited by John Aldrich on 31 March 2001]

          • #299653
            Avatar photoJohn Aldrich1
            Participant

              NickM, there is a remote possibility that the sewer system that provides service to your home is a “combined sewer” but I rather doubt it. The new construction of Combined Sewers in the USA, and I believe in England and Australia, is prohibited. If the system which serves your home is a combined sewer, I am sure that the service providers do not wish to have any additional flows of storm water into their collection system.

              Many communities which have combined sewers are implementing programs to eliminate them, and are building storm drainage systems. Combined Sewers create pollution problems when they overflow and discharge the comingled, untreated sewage and storm water into the environment, in violation of water pollution laws. These polluted discharges are called “CSO’s”, or Combined Sewer Overflow’s.

              Contact the sewer service provider and inquire of them as to whether you have permission to connect your storm water drainage to their collection system. If they will allow it, then that is the thing to do. If not, then expand your existing storm water disposal system.

              It is far better to allow the assimilative capacity of the environment to absorb the water from storm events than to collect this tremendous volume of water, mix it with sewage, and then attempt to treat the entire comingled volume before discharging it to surface water.

              I am not sure if the products that I mentioned in my previous post are available in England, but there may be similar products available locally.
              JWA

            • #299654
              Avatar photoWallingford Plm+Htg
              Participant

                There is a small town in upstate New York that still allows combined sewers.
                [Edited by John Aldrich on 03 April 2001]

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