My Garden

Pumping from culverted stream - is it legal?

Last post 03-08-2009 3:16 PM by tony. 6 replies.

• 16/05/2009 10:39 PM

  bigsusan55 Location: North-West London Joined on: 14 May 2009 Posts: 144

  Reply | Contact At the back of our garden a small stream used to run, which apparently regularly flooded down onto the back of our house and a neighbour's.  So, about 30 years ago the water board (I think) culverted it, but instead of doing this along the full course, just diverted it into the drains.  Being old our drains serve for sewage and rainwater, so this water just goes off with the sewage, which seemed like an awful waste.  We found that there was a man-hole over the culvert which had a large inspection hole, with water at the bottom, that was constantly replenished from the stream.  It is high enough above the drain that it doesn't get contaminated. So, about 10 years ago, we (I mean I researched and the OH did the work!) installed one of those old fashioned hand pumps, that are usually used as decorative features.  And now we nearly always have water for the garden, which doesn't seem to have done it any harm.   And it only runs out in severe drought conditions.  Wonderful! Does anyone know if it is legal though?  I know that it you are not allowed to take water from streams, but this is just going to waste (literally!).  Any thoughts? Susan B

• 16/05/2009 10:57 PM

  In reply to

  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 4,743

  Reply | Contact Well you've had a splendid idea bigsusan55, but i reckon you'll get in lumber from the waterboard for doing it, I know it's only going to waste but technically it belongs to the water board because it's in their drain, and being as you are in London where money rules the water board are likely to be a nasty bunch of thieving fat cat jag drivers and will try to extract more money from you, a chap in the peak district got done from his water board for collecting rain water in excessive amounts because they said the water should've gone into their drains in the first place. they are petty squabbling gits who will try to do you, my advice to you my friend is, keep pumping out the water don't tell anyone, make sure that your neighbours don't bubble you to the water board, and if the water board do turn up to see the pump, deny everything tell them the pump was there when you got the house they can't prove otherwise, unless they have a film of you installing it, usually streams becks and land drains need permission for water to be extracted via a licence. We have a large water tank for horse drinking water it's under graound and collects water run off from our own land only and the water board don't collect water from our land because it's too remote for them to bother putting in any drains, it's never been an issue here because we have a massive surplus of water, the last time folk were worried was 1976 but even that was a false alarm and the stand pipes remained unused, but where you are is very dry and full of lawyers looking for mischief. digger

• 16/05/2009 11:31 PM

  In reply to

  bigsusan55 Location: North-West London Joined on: 14 May 2009 Posts: 144

  Reply | Contact Let's hope that the water board are not reading this then!  It would be difficult to deny that we put in the pump, since we have lived here for 26 years.  Then, about 12 years ago, we bought the back of someone else's garden, and a tiny bit of next door's for access.  The manhole was right on the boundary of the three gardens and pretty inaccessable until then!  The fact that it is nicely greased, with new leather washers every couple of years, might be a bit of a give away as well. Susan B

• 21/06/2009 04:07 PM	In reply to
  headfullofbees Location: Cheadle Hulme Joined on: 13 Feb 2006 Posts: 114	Reply | Contact Since the water boards are trying desperately to flog us insurance by claiming that all equipment on your property is your responsibility, may I suggest that it is now YOUR drain, and that you do with it, within reason, and what it collects, as you see fit?

• 21/06/2009 05:53 PM	In reply to
  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 4,743	Reply | Contact Yes you are right the drain belongs to the property owner, but the water companies are dodgy and their argument is that although the drain is yours the surface water is directed into their drain and therefore it's their water, I say just take the water and deny it if anyone "bubbles" you. digger

• 22/06/2009 12:28 AM

  In reply to

  Lisa MTT Location: Cambs Joined on: 08 Mar 2009 Posts: 42

  Reply | Contact When the old 'water boards' were privatised in 1989 the responsibility for surface waters went to the Environment Agency. They regulate abstractions, but you do not need an abstraction licence if you're taking less than 20 cubic metres per day. My only concern would be whether you can still trust it for being clean. If it is still a culverted stream, then fine, but once people connect in their drainage, then someone illegally connects in foul sewerage, then you'll get road run-off too ... it might not be all that clean after all. Lisa "Don't be afraid to go out on a limb. That's where the fruit is." H Jackson Browne

• 03/08/2009 03:16 PM

  In reply to

  tony Location: inverness Joined on: 03 Aug 2009 Posts: 10

  Reply | Contact Greed, incompetence and lack of engineers and technical expertise in the government. In the Highlands of Scotland we have tons of water suitable for gardens, hundreds of rivers are bouncing at the moment after the recent rain and it does seem like rocket science to pipe this all over the country. They soon made a national gas pipe network when there was money to be made, a national fibre optic broadband communications network is planned, and since I was a young engineer, a network of motorways has been built. It would seem obvious to everyone, except government ministers, that when a network of roads is planned then other networks can be laid at the same time, or at least tunnels and ducts to make future installations easier. This approach would have saved billions, as new cables, pipelines and now fibre optic lines could be added easily mainly along existing routes. Instead we have firms winding communications wiring along the tops of pylons and telephone, gas, oil and electricity supplies all on separate routes. Working and living in the Middle East we had two water supplies, one for potable water and a second supply for the gardens. In the same country the main highway was built with banks of ducts crossing every few hundred yards for future developments. This problem should have been solved years ago, but with dumb "consultants" and managers, greedy accountants and bankers looking only to short term profits it is actually costing more as a country as a whole. Tony