PDA

View Full Version : skeptic tank



kriklah
22-Jun-09, 22:14
having a problem with the drains (again!!), not so much a problem with the blockage, i know how to go about clearing that (if i can get a long enough rod) but finding out who is responsible for which part of the system.

im not on mains sewage but a communal septic tank. first off i called the council since they bill for drainage via the council tax bill, they however say its nothing to do with them, they just collect the money, try calling scottish water.

i called scottish water, they say nothing to do with them, they are only responsible for emptying the tank. they suggested calling SEPA.

i called SEPA, someone was supposed to call me back, but nobody has.

in the meantime my drain is still blocked, and my driveway would not interest anyone on the "smells" tread!!!!!!!!

sofar i have had 20 meters(im about 50m from tank) of rod and hosepipe down the drain with no success, its not encountering the blockage, have had the cover off the tank, its not blocked that end, (was bubbly water flowing in from someone elses house) so somehere with the remaining 30ish meters theres a block, somewhere between mine and the last house's pipe going into the main pipe, and theres 5+ houses going into it!!

anyone know where id get hold of a plan of the drain lay out, so i can get in idea of whats happening down there? its possible the block is caused by one of the other houses, tho ill not rule out it being only mine thats blocked, but the other possibility being that the pipe are being damage by tree roots(and i dont fancy digging up the neighbours garden to find out!!)but then if thats the case again where does responsibility lie, me, council, or waterboard?

Kevin Milkins
22-Jun-09, 22:20
Wouldn't this be covered in your deeds?

kriklah
22-Jun-09, 22:28
no idea, not even sure who has the deeds, possibly the mortgage company, cos there no copy here, just the original feu charter(or is that what the deeds are, dumb blonde moment happening here!!) from when the previous owners bought the land

Kevin Milkins
22-Jun-09, 22:41
I am not sure how it is done in Scotland,but a house I bought in England and sold a few years later had a sceptic tank and the solicitor's on both sides made absoulutly sure that there was no questions unanswered regarding who was responsible for the sceptic tank.

It may be an idea to ask your nieghbours, because if it is shared it is likely to cause as many problems for them as it is you, and they might have a few yards of rod to add on to yours.

kriklah
23-Jun-09, 12:19
well someone put in a call for scottish water to come and check the tank this morning, so someone obviously took notice of my calls yesterday!! and as it turns out having spoken to the man from SW, they ARE responcible for the drains to the tank, right up to the access point on my driveway, not just the tank itself!! so there is now an urgent priority been made for them to come and sort it. hopefully they will investigate further to find out why the drain blocks up so often, the SW man this morning reckons it could well be the pipe is damaged by roots, given that its over 35 years old.