Major Works by Thames Water in E Dulwich

[Sue]

I am sure I had two letters - I threw away the first one because it said there would be a later one.

The one I kept is dated 1 October.

The reference number is CAP 5/ BB 966778

It was headed "Forthcoming work in Nunhead/East Dulwich", so I can't imagine anybody got a different one, though possibly the reference numbers may have been different in different subsections of the overall area.

I tried to attach a scan of the letter here but the file is too big and life's just too short to mess about reducing its size.

If you didn't get the second letter, which was very full and informative, you can phone them on 07809 530674 quoting the reference number above, between 8am and 5pm.

ETA: It included a paragraph headed "Drop-in session" and the sentence "We will write to invite you to this nearer the time." As it also mentions several sessions, it's possible they are holding different ones in different parts of the area and that may be the reason for the invitations going out later.

[the-e-dealer]

Sue Wrote:

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> Maybe the people who didn't think I was thick are

> now revising their opinion :)

SHORT SIGHTED? :-)

[Sue]

the-e-dealer Wrote:

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> Sue Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Maybe the people who didn't think I was thick

> are

> > now revising their opinion :)

>

> SHORT SIGHTED? :-)

xxxxx

Eh? I'm definitely short sighted :)

I just hadn't clocked that it was about sewers, though as they said my water supply wouldn't be affected by the work I suppose that should have given me a clue :)

[aquarius moon]

The Minkey Wrote:

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> Sounds like the same letter I got AQ - I think we

> live fairly nearby eachother (didn't you once

> kindly offer to catsit for me?) - I don't recall

> an invite to a drop in session. Just had the one

> letter.

I received a brief letter, followed by a longer one, detailing the drop-in session that is being mentioned on here.

Yes, we do live in the same area, but I don't recall anything about cat-sitting!! I'm more of a doggie person myself, but if you ever get completely stuck, I don't mind coming round to fill up his/her dinner bowl!

I think most of our conversations on here have been about the 343/484 bus service!

[Penguin68]

I believe the stimulus for all this is a change in the law; previously you (or your ground landlords) were responsible for your foul and rain water drains and sewer pipes on your own property - with Thames Water (etc.) only picking up responsibility on the boundary - hence all the insurance offers to cover issues with on-property drains and sewers. That responsibility has now passed to the Water Companies; I assume that Thames is undertaking surveys locally to understand the extent of that responsibility - which will probably be used as evidence in making the case to increase their water rates to pay for work they may have to do in the future. They will also, I assume, be planning to put right anything they immediately find problematical.

[The Minkey]

Yes, it was the bus chat that marked us out as relative neighbours, for some reason I pinned the cat thing to you too - my useless memory! I only got one letter about three weeks or so ago. It would be good if after this survey, Thames Water are able to tell us where the sewer pipes run. I tried to find out when buying the house but neither the council nor TW knew. My neighbour tells me there used to be a manhole cover out back of my house which would have been access for 4 houses. It's not there now so if she's right, someone has covered it over with concrete :-( I was thinking of putting decking down out back so it would be handy to know where those pipes are.

[nunhead_man]

Thanks for the info

Oh joy!

Penguin68 Wrote:

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...snip ....

> understand the extent of that responsibility -

> which will probably be used as evidence in making

> the case to increase their water rates to pay for

> work they may have to do in the future.

[Sue]

nunhead_man Wrote:

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> Thanks for the info

>

> Oh joy!

>

>

> Penguin68 Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> ...snip ....

> > understand the extent of that responsibility -

> > which will probably be used as evidence in

> making

> > the case to increase their water rates to pay

> for

> > work they may have to do in the future.

xxxxxxx

Well to be fair, if it's work which benefits the area, somebody's got to pay for it.

Where is the money coming from otherwise if not from us?

(Lights blue touchpaper and stands well back ..... :) )

[the-e-dealer]

Maybe from the profits the shareholders receive?

[Sue]

Ah, I still keep forgetting we don't actually have proper public services any more ... thanks, Tories.

[Glutenberg]

Very interesting.... I have a problem with a collapsed drain under the back garden. Insurance company refused claim, and it's currently with financial ombudsman. Could Thames Water actually be responsible for this?!

[Penguin68]

I have a problem with a collapsed drain under the back garden

It is worthwhile checking with Thames Water - although if it is a soak-away (a drain to take e.g. rainwater from gutters or even from the kitchen sink) away from the house, but not them connecting with the public sewer (foul water) system it may not the utility's responsibility. Actually, I think a kitchen sink should link to the sewer system, but sometimes rain water from gutters doesn't. It may also be that Thames Water takes responsibility only from the public sewer to the house (which would normally be a route which ran through the front but not the back garden). However some houses have linked drains where they link at the back of the house - so a number of houses link together and exit into the public sewer through a single link serving more than one house.

It's worth checking anyway.

[AbDabs]

Penguin68 Wrote:

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> I have a problem with a collapsed drain under the

> back garden

>

> It is worthwhile checking with Thames Water -

> although if it is a soak-away (a drain to take

> e.g. rainwater from gutters or even from the

> kitchen sink) away from the house, but not them

> connecting with the public sewer (foul water)

> system it may not the utility's responsibility.

> Actually, I think a kitchen sink should link to

> the sewer system, but sometimes rain water from

> gutters doesn't. It may also be that Thames Water

> takes responsibility only from the public sewer to

> the house (which would normally be a route which

> ran through the front but not the back garden).

> However some houses have linked drains where they

> link at the back of the house - so a number of

> houses link together and exit into the public

> sewer through a single link serving more than one

> house.

>

> It's worth checking anyway.

www.cila.co.uk/files/private-sewers-leaflet-june_-2011.pdf .

If the pipe that has collapsed carries drainage from more than one property (with an intended final destination of a sewerage treatment plant) then the utility is responsible (ie shared drainage = public/private sewer - doesn't matter if it's in the front or back garden). If it's only carrying your roof drainage to a soakaway, or if it only carries your drainage on your property, then it's down to you (Any pipework - even a single household drain - outside your property's curtilage that leads to a sewer is their problem now). It would be interesting to know why the insurance company refused the claim. Even if the utility is responsible that won't stop it passing charges on to you if you've done something that caused the problem - eg damaged during building works.

[PeckhamRose]

Did anyone go? What did people think? In the end I couldn't go! :(

[kiera]

It was a drop-in session and I was surprised to find no-one else there at the time that I went in(about 6pm). There were 2 men, from a company contracted to Thames Water, to answer questions. They will map the sewer system using cameras. They will need access to some properties with manhole covers in the garden, in order to be able to put the camera down the sewer pipes, as they can't access them from the road. They will cut away tree roots which are blocking the pipes as they go. They will report the condition of the pipe network to Thames Water, who will instruct them if they require them to carry out any urgent repairs - they are not expecting to be asked to repair all cracked pipes. Any new pipes will be made of plastic, so will not crack and allow tree roots to enter in future. They start on Monday and expect to take about 2 months to map this area.

[Sue]

Thanks Kiera.

What area do you live in, as I haven't received an invitation to a drop-in session?

Not that I was intending to go to one as I don't have any questions :)

[nunhead_man]

Excellent- thanks for the update.

Do you know if they were proposing to make repairs by digging up or by sleeveing the existing -i.e. putting plastic inside the old clay pipes?

At least I assume they are glazed clay here?

We now expect a call to look in our back garden. Although they may not know we have access?

kiera Wrote:

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>................... new pipes will be made of

> plastic, so will not crack and allow tree roots to

> enter in future. They start on Monday and expect

> to take about 2 months to map this area.

[James Barber]

I've had a subsequent letter dated Monday 12 November arrive yesterday about a drop in session on Monday 4-7pm 26 November at Goose Green School or call the project office 07809 530674.