Does My House Have Surface Water Drainage?
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Call 0800 0488 701 or email our friendly team for all your drainage needs.
Most properties have separate drains for surface water and wastewater. Some properties might have Soak Away’s from downpipes and surface water gully straight into Soak Away’s all around the house. A test hole could show that the ground is made up of thick clay. Heavy clay soils aren’t permeable.
Carefully designed land drains in the right ground, with aerated soil, is soil with good air movement through the soil structure. The opposite is a wet, waterlogged soil, not recommended where the soil pores are filled with water.
What is surface water drainage?
Surface water drainage is super important for your property’s safety. It makes sure that any rainwater that falls on your roof or paved areas is removed quickly, preventing flooding. Surface water is collected in drains and gullies and either flows into the public sewer system or a soakaway.
The risks to your property of having no surface water drainage
Living in the UK, we know how much rain we get each year, and it can sometimes cause damage to our properties through waterlogging and flooding. So, it’s important to have a proper surface water drainage system in place to reduce these risks.
How to check if you have surface water drainage
If you have guttering and downpipes from your roof, or if you have any gulleys or channel drainage systems, they should tell you that you have surface water drainage. You might also be able to see a slight dip in your lawn leading from your house to a slightly sunken area on your lawn. This could be a soakaway. If you can't find your drainage, you can call our office on 0800 181 684 for further information.
What's the difference between surface water and foul water?
Many people don’t realise that there are actually two drainage systems within their properties; one for foul water and the other for surface water.
Foul water: is any wastewater from bathrooms, toilets, kitchens, and washing machines. If your property is connected to the main sewer line, all foul water from your property should be taken to the main public sewer or your private sewage system.
Surface water: drainage includes rainwater and runoff from driveways, roofs, gutters, and pond overflows. This water can be safely returned to watercourses untreated (as long as it’s not contaminated).
Note: as mentioned earlier, foul water cannot drain into surface water systems. However, in some cases, your surface water, like rainwater downpipes, may be connected to your foul systems also through gulleys etc if you have a combined sewer system in your area.
Alternatively, contact ASL Limited
Having a CCTV drain mapping survey carried out is one of the best ways to find out more about your property’s drainage system. At ASL, we'll survey your drains using a probe that tells you exactly where the drain is underground and provide you with a schematic diagram. This shows you where your drains run and where all discharge points are so that you know how everything works.
Related Article: Surface Water Drainage: What is it and How Does It Work?
