Storm water storage tank under garden of new build - Help please

I suspect that if its on your property then it is your problem / responsibility. The council will not take over such items on private land.

Does it only support your house or is it a common system for a number of houses, which might be a shared liability.

Other question for me is why the need for the unit, does this imply there are drainage isdues in the area, and therefore a risk of flooding?

Another thought, if you intend living there a long time, is that it may limit the capacity to extend the dwelling should you (or a subsequent potential purchaser) need or want to do so. This, if the case, it should be reflected in the value.

The developer is simply complying with modern regulations in relation to SUDS whilst maximising his development on the available land.  He's making money on this so I'd not be shy in bargaining the price down vs an equivalent plot with no undersite tank.

G

Cbr600 thanks for your reply, It would seem that this is all part of new laws for sustainable drainage as per this extract from a house building trade website;

"There is plenty happening below the ground at the moment. In October, Section 42 of the Flood and Water Management Act was implemented in Wales. This means that housebuilders wishing to connect a sewer or lateral drain to the public sewerage system must enter into an adoption agreement with the sewerage undertaker before work begins.

England will follow suit in, it is envisaged, April 2013. But unlike Wales, it will also see the implementation of DEFRA's (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) standards for sustainable drainage systems (SUDS).

I have been past this site for many years as my daughter lived around the corner and have never seen any flooding. Also it seems that there is some adoption of the system by the water authorities. It all seems to be very new and the water authorities seem more reluctant to adopt the various ponds/reed beds that a lot of builders put in. This normally result in a "management fee" being levied on the residents.

GraemeH, you posted before I put up the SUDS info. I take your point regarding the regulations and the subsequent expansion potential. in my view the gardens on new houses are so small any expansion however small will wipe out most of them.

The point about some serious haggling is very well received.

I would also speak to your water company as many water companies in the UK will give you a discount if you can show that you are not discharging storm water to the drains, and there may be a discount relating to controlled discharge from a SUDS.

I would also ask the builder about the waranties they have signed up to with the council, normally 12 years under seal.

Also ask the builder about the maintenance regime. They may have done a deal with the council under a bond.

Regards,

Nick 

Hello Nick, Thanks for your reply. I will add your points to list of questions to be asked. With respect to the discount for not discharging storm water to drains, as far as I can tell this is a storage tank which collects storm water then releases it to the drains more slowly so as not to have overloaded drains during or after a storm. On that basis it may not count for a discount but always worth asking.

I'm with Yorkshire Water and receive a discount because my surface water drainage doesn't enter their drainage system. It's actually a system of soak-aways. To obtain the discount I had to supply a plan (diagram really) of my drainage system. If necessary I had to be prepared to have it inspected by their rep. I have a feeling you may not qualify but it's worth the ask.

We have the same options here - it gave us a £18 annual discount.

Sheffieldgraham, thanks for that. I have the same feeling regarding a discount. However I still don't like the idea of it occupying the whole of my garden potentially and any restrictions this might entail. I am meeting the site manager at 14:00 and I have given my solicitor the heads up so that they can look into it as well as they might be able to find out stuff I can't. Afterwards I'll talk to the solicitor and compare notes.

Thanks to all for your input so far. It's not put me off completely, YET!

Well folks I had my meeting with the site manager. Based on my research over the weekend I knew more about it than he did. I suppose that its not surprising as he has an overview and does not necessarily know all the details. He did however give me the email details of the site designer and insisted that I email him so I get answers in writing (I had planned to anyway). So questions sent off but I think the designer will need input from the legal team as I told him that whatever answers he gives me will be given to my solicitor to be kept with the deeds if I buy the house.

The site manager did say that he thought the storage system was at least 2 Meters down but the designer can confirm this.

This type of issue is in a state of flux at the moment partly due to delays in bringing in legislation and inconsistenecies in the way it is implemented.

You seem to be on the ball generally in your investigations/questions but please check whether the water company will be taking over the maintenance of the system - if so there should be a "Section 104 Agreement" which your solicitor can enquire about - it's the adoption agreement that you mentioned earlier.

Also have you had a valuation of the property and was the valuer aware of the drainage system?

The more information you can gather the better - best of luck.

Chris

Thanks Chris, it's good to know that I'm on the right track. I have asked the question about adoption/maintenance and also about any easement for access but not specifically mentioning "Section 104". I will mention it specifically to my solicitor. I am awaiting replies from the designer and the builders head office.

Are you suggesting I get a valuation on a new build property? I am buying straight from the builder under a part exchange deal. I have asked questions about this issue affecting future sale value… Again waiting on replies then I can perhaps haggle a better price for accomodating  this leading edge system and the uncertanties.

Might be worth checking with insurers to get their perspective.

G

Will do GraemeH, I'll contact my current insurer. As this methodology/system is reasonably new, I'm not sure that they will know a lot, especially the front line customer services people. Will probably end up talking to someone in the back office.

I'm preparing myself for being on hold a loooooong time.

Rattlesnaic, it can be used for soak aways and storage. It's function is defined by the type of outer membrane it is wrapped in, so for a soak away the membrane is permeable and for a storage tank the membrane is impermeable. In this case it is definitely being used as a storm water storage tank  as per the plans and technical drawings.

Yes - I would get an independent professional valuation for a new build property. I would not accept a mortgage valuation carried out for a bank or building society as I probably could not technically rely on it if there was negligence. 

I would also anticipate a precompletion inspection by my surveyor and a requirement in the contract for sangging items to be made good by the builder before completion is triggered. I would not rely on the NHBC cover note (or equivalent) - although most new build purcahse contract do.

Also check whether the anticipated completion date is close to the builder's year end.

Chris

It is not used as storage for subsequent use - it is a method of regulating the flow into the mains system. 

However if you could get access to the water via a pump then it would be a boon for garden watering during hosepipe bans and for just reducing metered water bills.

However ensure that the house footings go down further than the bottom of the chamber by the required amount.

It would be far easier and less risky to instal a water capture/storage system off the drain pipes. They are readily available from water co.'s and DIY stores.

Obviously, but I don't think the developers or the water co.'s would appreciate compromising their systems. 

Hello guys, Access to the stored water is of no interest to me. a I'm with sheffieldgraham, if I want to capture some water in a water butt then there are plenty of down pipes to get at.

The main thing is as I said in my original post. I have spoken to my insurers and they say it has no effect as far as they are concerned and they are confirming it in writing. The other questions that I asked the designer has been sent to the developer's legal department by him as, in his words, "they are pre contract questions". No surprises there.

I think it would be worth a letter to the water company regards the discount. AMP6 starts in April 2015 and is based on outcomes rather than outputs, which the previous AMPs have been based on. You could argue that you are doing your bit by ensuring reduced flooding in the catchment through implementation of a SUDs and hence supporting the Outcomes approach required by OFWAT.

You may set a precedent, which would be very interesting from my perspective.

Regards,

Nick