Developer Services

DEV 005G – Guidance notes and procedure

Building over or near a sewer

If you are thinking of building a structure (for example, a new building, extension, conservatory, garage etc.) you
must check that you are not building over or near to a public sewer. You will need to apply to Wessex Water if works
are proposed within three metres of any public sewer. Please note that this is extended to six metres for strategic
sewers.
What is a public sewer?
Wessex Water owns and has a duty to maintain more than 30,000 kilometres of sewerage pipes. These are known as
‘public sewers’. These sewers often run down the side or rear of domestic properties.
Most sewers that are shared by more than one property or lateral drains (pipes outside of property boundary but
only serving one unit) are public. The diagram below illustrates some typical drainage arrangements. There are
exceptions, for example sewers:
• located in a village that is not connected to a public system, so the sewerage system is entirely private
• that are owned, operated and maintained by another sewerage company (inset or management company)
• that were laid on or after 1 July 2011 and have not been offered for adoption under a S104/S102 agreement

Flats/apartments Terraced Semi-detached Detached

Footpath

Public highway

Key Private drain, responsibility of homeowner Responsibility of Wessex Water

How do I know if a public sewer runs through

my site?
Our asset records may be viewed to help establish whether a
public sewer will likely be affected by your proposal. They
will also indicate whether the sewer is classified as ‘strategic’.
However it is important to note that not all public sewers
will be shown, and for those that are, the position indicated
on the plan will be approximate only. Please do not rely on
our asset records as these should be used for guidance
purposes only. In all cases it is important to undertake
further investigations, potentially including a full survey of
the site, to determine the actual drainage arrangements.
Further information:
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• There are some tell-tale signs that there is pipework

within your property boundary. For example, there may
3549 DEV 005G – September 2017

be an inspection chamber or manhole cover in your

garden (see examples on the right). However, even if
there are no physical signs of drains or sewers, that
doesn’t mean that there is not something under the
ground.
• Your architect or builder may be able to help you find out
if there is a public sewer or drain within your property
boundary.
• Details of drainage arrangements may be included within
the legal documentation related to your property.
Can I build over or near to a public sewer?
Our preference is that you amend your proposal to avoid
the sewer. If your planned development will not be
within 3m (measured horizontally) of a typical public
sewer, or 6m of a strategic sewer, then you do not need
to formally apply to us. Instead, please send us
confirmation in writing and a simple sketch for our
records. We will then issue you with a response of ‘no
objection’, which you can add to your property deeds
for future reference.
If you are unable to avoid the public sewer then please
submit an application to us for further consideration. We
will consider a number of variables, including the size,
depth and catchment of the public sewer, as well as the
location and nature of the project.
Please be aware that on some occasions we may either
refuse a submission or request that you seek approval
via an alternative process. This could involve diverting
the sewer away from the proposed building or leaving
the pipe in-situ but entering into a Formal Legal
Buildover Agreement with the company. This is more
complex than the ‘standard’ Buildover Consent that we
utilise for most projects. Additional fees will apply and
we will provide further details and guidance. Please see
below for additional details.
When can’t I build over or near to a sewer?
• Under no circumstances could you build over or close
to a pressurised pumping main (rising main).
• We do not allow any public manholes or inspection
chambers to be located within a building, as this
would increase the risk of internal sewer flooding and
odour issues. However, we will consider proposals
that involve the removal and relocation of a chamber,
where technically viable.
• Where entirely new dwellings or commercial premises
are proposed (eg, as opposed to a simple extension of
an existing structure) on land that has not been
previously developed (eg, a ‘greenfield site’).
You must contact us for additional guidance
(prior to making an application) in complex cases,
such as where:
• Strategic public sewers will be affected (eg, your
proposed development is within 6m). As a general
rule we will not permit such works. However, we are
most likely to give further consideration to your
proposal in cases where you are redeveloping a
previously developed piece of land (a ‘brownfield
site’), or if the sewer is exceptionally deep or oversized
for its catchment.
• New dwellings or commercial premises are proposed
on land that has been previously developed
(brownfield).
Making your application
Once you have located the public sewer and established
that none of the above factors apply to your
development, then you are ready to make your
application for one of our standard Buildover
agreements.
What information do I need to provide?
You need to send the following information when you
apply:
• Application form
• The fee
• Design drawings. These should include a plan and
section showing the position of your proposed works
and foundations relative to our sewer. 1:50 or 1:100
scales are preferred. Drawings submitted for Building
Regulations are normally sufficient, as long as the
sewer is clearly marked. Do not scale directly from our
asset records as these are approximate only.
How much will it cost?
We have a set charge of £325 for all applications to build
over or near to a public sewer. This covers:
• Administering and evaluating your proposal
• Engineering consultation and/or site inspection if
necessary
• Liaison with Building Control or your Private Inspector
• Formal approval
If you are building over a public sewer, we will survey
the pipe and complete any necessary remedial works
before you proceed. If an application is rejected, your
application fee will be refunded.
Are any works exempt from this process?
Yes. Minor works associated with landscaping (retaining
walls, decking, patios, fencing etc.) and small wooden
structures (eg, sheds) that do not require Building
Regulations do not generally require formal consent via
this process. However, this does not mean that such
works pose no risk to the public sewerage system.
Therefore we would request that you send us an
informal notification of your works together with a
simple sketch which outlines the proposal together with
the position of the public sewer.
In most cases we will have no objection to the proposal.
However, we may request that certain protective
measures are implemented or send one of our
inspectors to visit you for a site meeting, particularly
where a manhole or inspection chamber will be
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impacted or our future access to it is obstructed.
Please note that although some extensions and
3549 DEV 005G – September 2017
conservatories are exempt from Building Regulations,
you must apply to us if you are considering building
such a structure.
 What is the normal process?
Step 1 Application & Payment
Please complete the application form and return it with a single set of design drawings plus the application fee of
£325 to our Sewer Protection team. Payment can be by cheque made payable to Wessex Water Services Ltd, or
we can invoice so you can pay by BACS. You can also pay by credit card.

Step 2 CCTV survey (for building over or piling works only)

We will arrange to carry out a CCTV camera survey to check the structural condition of our sewer. We will then
advise if any remedial works are necessary. For piling works, a post works CCTV survey will also be required.

Step 3 Decision
If your proposal is acceptable we will approve your works. If no drainage works are required then you may
proceed to step 6 and begin your project. However, if drainage works are necessary (eg, sewer remedial works,
moving a manhole chamber etc.), then our approval will be conditioned as appropriate pending completion of
these works.

Step 4 Drainage works (if applicable)

If any drainage works on the public sewer are required then these will need to be completed and inspected. If
trench excavations are required then you need to complete these before Wessex Water attends to fix the pipe.

Step 5 Completion (if applicable)

Once the required drainage work has been carried out to our satisfaction, we will send you a completion letter
which confirms this to be the case.

Step 6 Construction
Your works can commence and any further inspections will be undertaken by the Council’s Building Control
department or your Private Inspector as part of their normal regime.

Are there any sewer protection/foundation requirements?

We normally expect strip foundations to be used wherever possible.
However, in certain circumstances alternative foundation designs may be considered with our prior agreement.
These may include pads/piling, cantilever or raft designs. However, these are non-preferred and should you wish to
utilise such a design then this will need to be fully justified and approved. Foundations will normally need to be
taken down to a specified depth to avoid any loading on the sewer pipe and provide a stable environment for any
future excavations.
Where you are building over a sewer, your load-bearing walls will extend over the sewer pipe. In most
circumstances you will need to bridge over the sewer using pre-stressed concrete lintels in accordance with our
standard detail. Our requirements may vary on a site to site basis and we will advise you of these as part of the
application process.
Please see guidance overleaf for further information and illustrations.
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3549 DEV 005G – September 2017
Technical Guidance
Please find below a number of common build over or near examples. Sewers must be designed and built
according to the current edition of ‘Sewers for Adoption’, which is available from the Water Research Council.
Foundations and walls should be designed and built so they do not put any loading on the sewer.
Public highway

Existing dwelling Existing dwelling Existing dwelling Public Existing dwelling

land

A
B < 3m
A
B C
C

Typical ‘build near’ ‘Build over’ with Typical ‘build over’ ‘Build near’ – all works
relocation of manhole within 3m of a lateral drain
outside the new extension require approval

Key Public sewer Public manhole Diverted private drain

Lateral drain (public) Private rodding eye / manhole New public manhole

Private drain Abandoned private drain Removed public manhole

Section A – A Section B – B Section C – C

Building close to a public sewer Load bearing wall construction Building over a public sewer
detail
Foundations less than 1m from Foundations less than 1m from
the sewer the sewer
Where foundations to the buildings are at Where foundations to the buildings are at
Block or brickwork
any point within 1m from the sewer, they are any point within 1m from the sewer, they are
to be carried down at least 150mm below to be carried down at least 150mm below
the invert of the sewer. 150 150 the invert of the sewer.
mm mm Mass fill foundation
Floor
level Floor level
Ground
Pre-stressed concrete lintel(s)
Ground level 50mm celotex or polystyrene level
300
mm Granular bedding material

1m or less Public 150 Public 1m or less

sewer mm sewer
Foundation 150mm Sub soil or bedrock 150mm Foundation
minimum minimum

Foundations more than 1m from Foundations more than 1m from

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the sewer Important the sewer

At a greater distance than 1m, an angle of At a greater distance than 1m, an angle of
The information on this page is 45 degrees can be taken to determine the
3549 DEV 005G – September 2017

45 degrees can be taken to determine the

required footing level. intended to show examples of typical required footing level.
scenarios and should be used for
Floor general guidance only. Significant
level Floor level
variations on a site by site basis are Ground
Ground level level
to be expected and it is in no way
implied that meeting any of the above
will guarantee approval.
Drawings are not to scale.
Foundation 45˚ More than 1m Public Public More than 1m 45˚ Foundation
sewer sewer
Can I build over a manhole chamber?
No. Where a manhole/inspection chamber would fall
within your proposal, please be advised that these
would need to be re-located as appropriate at your
expense. This is necessary to ensure that we have
continued access to our public systems for operational
and maintenance purposes. Internal chambers can also
pose an increased risk of sewage flooding and odour
issues.
Can I connect rainwater to the sewer?
Not normally. On many projects there will be a need to
adequately dispose of rainwater; however this can lead
to or exacerbate sewer flooding within our network. All
other means (eg, soakaways) must be properly
investigated before a connection could be considered.
A separate application is necessary for all new proposed Is Wessex Water still responsible
connections (both foul and rainwater) that will be made for the sewer?
direct to an existing sewer. Further information is
available via our website. If we give permission for you to build over or near our
sewer, we still have a statutory right of access to the
Who can carry out my drainage works? sewer now and in the future. If we need to repair,
unblock or maintain it, we will do so at our own expense.
This will depend on the type of works on your site. For
remedial works on public sewer pipes Wessex Water will
undertake the required works (historical defects only – Send your application to:
should your works cause a new defect to the sewer then Sewer Protection
this must be made good at your cost). Please note if
trench excavations are required, you need to complete Developer Services,
these before we attend to fix the pipe. Wessex Water,
If you need to move or re-build an existing public
Claverton Down,
manhole chamber, or construct a new one for your Bath BA2 7WW
works, this can be completed by your ground worker (at
your cost). If the sewer is deeper than 500mm, you must Tel: 01225 526333
use one of our approved contractors who hold Wessex email sewer.protection@wessexwater.co.uk
Water permits. A list is available upon request. If your
ground worker is not on our list they would need to
prove to us that they have the required skills and
experience to complete the works to the correct
standard.
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3549 DEV 005G – September 2017

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our sewerage apparatus. If temporary or permanent

structures are constructed in such a way that they
obstruct us carrying out this duty, we can take action to
remove the obstruction.
When you sell your property, you need the correct
paperwork to prove the sewer build over or build near
was agreed by Wessex Water. Solicitor searches will
reveal if an agreement is in place on our records. You
may encounter difficulties selling your property if our www.wessexwater.co.uk
approval has not been obtained.