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Here at R A Dalton we see every job on a individual basis, there is no true ‘one size fits all’ for wastewater/ surface water design, some jobs are a quick fix and can be achieved in a few days on site whereas some are here for the long haul. Never the less we are here with our customers for as long as necessary.

We had initially received an enquiry in 2019 from a gentleman who had two existing surface water drains that were running through neighbouring land. However  plans were in place to hopefully develop this area and as such the existing drains needed to be disconnected.

A number of options had been considered to rectify the situation including connection to a surface water culvert opposite the property, installation of designated soakaways but neither were viable long term solutions.

With many hours of administration, multiple visits to site to determine the best course of action, it wasn’t until earlier this year that we were able to make a start on site.

After all other options were considered, it was decided that we would install a surface water pump station within the property bounds and install a new section of rising main along the lane before ultimately connecting to the combined mains sewer in the roadway.

For this to take place several permissions needed to be in place before any works could start on site. The new drainage run was to be installed along the side of the highway and ultimately connected to a manhole in the middle of the road. Therefore, it was imperative that not only had we received the Section 106 allowing us to connect to the sewer but also a Section 50 and all relevant traffic management to allow us to safely work in the highway.

When first determining whether a connection is viable, service plans needed to be obtained, this includes details on the existing sewer and any pipework/ cables etc we may encounter along the new drainage run.

As we were hoping to connect surface/ groundwater determining that the network was the right kind was at the forefront of the decision-making process. Surface water can only be connected to either a dedicated or combined public sewer.

For the approval to be received a few conditions will be outlined including the requirements for the connection and any demarcation chamber specifications. Once the approval has been received then the works programming can begin.

Due to the scope of works we were required to do the job in sections, a vast majority of the works required the road to be closed whilst the connection was made. Therefore, a comprehensive CAD plan with the proposed traffic management had to be approved by the local council.

There was an array of signage and traffic lights required to safely divert the traffic from the working area all whilst maintaining access for the residents.

Whenever we start any jobs near the highway, we always make sure to have the most up to date service maps possible and the area is thoroughly CAT scanned where possible. This however is not a foolproof way to avoid pesky drains and cables within the working area. These maps are only an indicator of what can be presented under the ground.

Carefully excavating under the highway surface, it immediately became clear to our site team that the existing drains were not where was identified on the map nor were they at the expected level. This posed an issue as presently there were drain runs right where our installation team were hoping to lay the pipework.

Swift action needed to be taken to resolve this and a new plan of action approved by the water authority a variation was made to the type of demarcation, the connection point and the depth of drainage.

Once the work in the road was complete it was time for the highway to be reinstated, several tons of tarmac and bitumen over banding was used to complete the job to the council’s approval.

The final stage of the work was to install the Pump Station within the property’s front garden, access was not the easiest for this property and the small machine was required to be lifted over the boundary wall by the larger machine.

Once in the garden the 1.5 ton Excavator was able to install the new surface water pump station and short sections of connecting pipework to finally be able to disconnect the old drains from the neighbouring field.

Once all the works were complete and signed off the traffic management could be removed and machinery uplifted so access could be restored as usual.