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When deciding what size extension you want, you need to know what actions you are expected to take before you will be allowed to build. You may, for example, need to have a WRC drain inspection carried out.
The legalities
By law it is your responsibility to ensure the safety and care of any drains throughout your property, and this will extend to drains or sewage lines that you are planning to build over, or even near.
Severn Trent, for example, requires you to declare whether you are building over or near a public sewer so that necessary action can be taken to prevent any issues either for yourselves or the community.
It may be worth considering a drain inspection which will consist of a camera being inserted into the drain, an operator observing and recording and blockages, and a report being presented. That way you won’t have to endure any nasty surprises that could prolong or prevent a build from taking place.
What if I’m not having an extension?
Even if it is something simple like wanting to build a drive outside your home, there are things that you can take into consideration to prevent any damage to connecting drains or sewers. The website www.planningportal.gov.uk suggests that if you are wanting to build a new driveway to consider incorporating a slope and choosing specific materials (like gravel) that will allow rain water to escape, preventing the risk of flooding. A sloped driveway may still require a WRC inspection depending on where sewage and drainage pipes are located and how deep they are, so it’s worth having one carried out.
What does a Servo-Rod WRC drain inspection consist of?
Step 1 – a drain camera is inserted into the drain. The CCTV drain camera is introduced into the drain via the appropriate access point and pushed or powered through the pipe.
Step 2 – an operator observes and records. As the drain camera travels along the pipe, the image is relayed to a monitor screen above ground. The operator will then log the blocked drains and record the location of the blockages along the entire length of the blocked pipe.
Step 3 – a drain survey report is provided. The drain survey report is then provided which lists the type and location of any defect. This can be backed up with photographs, video or CD evidence together with a site plan showing the drain’s location.
The results
Once you get your results, you can move on to the next stage of planning your extension. If there are issues, it is better to find the problem early on to cause as little inconvenience as possible. Servo-Rod can advise you on what steps need to be taken next and what kind of engineer needs to be consulted so that everything can be approved for your new build as soon as possible.