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Broken wastewater pipes, outside of property. Responsibility lies with whom?

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  • 21-11-2017 10:45pm
    #1
    gnalpp
    Registered Users Posts: 27 ✭


    Hi,
    The wastewater pipes that leave the boundary of my property and connects to the public sewer is banjaxed - collapsing in multiple places.
    After a great effort of perusing the Irish Water website, I am left stuck understanding where the responsibility for the repairs of this lie, both financial and practically.
    Any thoughts / pointers would be greatly appreciated.


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    #2
    Cuddlesworth
    Registered Users Posts: 13,995 ✭✭✭✭Cuddlesworth


    Under your land, your problem. It's worth pointing out that your property boundary usually ends at the path/road intersection as well but its a bit of a gray area since the council is responsible for the path.


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    #3
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,301 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    Is your house detached, semi-detached, standalone?


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    #4
    gnalpp
    Registered Users Posts: 27 ✭gnalpp


    the_syco wrote: »
    Is your house detached, semi-detached, standalone?


    It's a terraced house.


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    #5
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,301 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    gnalpp wrote: »
    It's a terraced house.
    So is the waste be only yours, or would the waste be from a number of houses?


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    #6
    gnalpp
    Registered Users Posts: 27 ✭gnalpp


    the_syco wrote: »
    So is the waste be only yours, or would the waste be from a number of houses?


    It's just from my property. It seems, as a poster above has said, that they will take responsibility for replacing the pipe if it is under the pavement / road. However, I believe said pipe is still the responsiblity of the property owner to maintain / repair / unblock.


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    #7
    Cuddlesworth
    Registered Users Posts: 13,995 ✭✭✭✭Cuddlesworth


    gnalpp wrote: »
    It's just from my property. It seems, as a poster above has said, that they will take responsibility for replacing the pipe if it is under the pavement / road. However, I believe said pipe is still the responsiblity of the property owner to maintain / repair / unblock.

    Yep and it can get interesting because its usually the person with the sewer grate in their garden who gets hit with the bill. And its rare for a sewer line to actually run down the street, usually in the front or rear gardens to a larger distribution line that is the council's problem.


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    #8
    gnalpp
    Registered Users Posts: 27 ✭gnalpp


    OP here with an update:

    Irish water refuse to take responsibility for waste water pipes that lie under public pavements and road.

    I've been told to apply for a road opening licence and to employ a contractor to do the work.

    Looking at a couple of grand in cash to do the work and I'll need to give the council a 2k deposit for the road opening that they hold for two years.

    Is it just me, or is this a tad ridiculous?


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    #9
    Dee01
    Registered Users Posts: 261 ✭✭Dee01


    This actually happened to us about 2 months ago. I was full sure it would be an Irish water job as I'd heard all about replacing pipes etc. Our water pipe that connected to the mains collapsed and was broken in a number of places both under our garden and the footpath outside our house due to wear and tear. We discovered it when we put in a new plumbing system and the pipes couldn't take the new pressure.

    Irish water sent the co council out to check the pressure as our plumber had flagged it as being an issue, but the responsibility lay with us to have the pipe fixed.

    We'd to pay to have the concrete lifted, the pipe exposed all the way to the mains and the piping replaced and reconnected to the house. Irish water/co council reconnected to the mains (a formality it seems). Once all finished, the footpath was fixed by Irish water/co council and our garden is our responsibility.


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    #10
    Cuddlesworth
    Registered Users Posts: 13,995 ✭✭✭✭Cuddlesworth


    gnalpp wrote: »
    Is it just me, or is this a tad ridiculous?

    It flies in the face of what I remember but it would appear that they have pushed responsibility for waste water pipes heavily back onto the property owner. Any break until the "main" distribution line is your problem.

    https://www.water.ie/support/report-a-leak/Pipe-maintenance-responsibility.pdf


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    #11
    Wanderer78
    Registered Users Posts: 29,445 ✭✭✭✭Wanderer78


    gnalpp wrote:
    Is it just me, or is this a tad ridiculous?


    Makes sense really, as this was obviously one of the main reasons for creating Irish water, I.e. diminished responsibility of the state and increasing responsibility of the individual. Fairly typical neoliberal ideology, it's disturbing really, which will sadly more than likely lead to a further deterioration of our water infrastructure.


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    #12
    gnalpp
    Registered Users Posts: 27 ✭gnalpp


    Wanderer78 wrote: »
    gnalpp wrote:
    Is it just me, or is this a tad ridiculous?


    Makes sense really, as this was obviously one of the main reasons for creating Irish water, I.e. diminished responsibility of the state and increasing responsibility of the individual. Fairly typical neoliberal ideology, it's disturbing really, which will sadly more than likely lead to a further deterioration of our water infrastructure.
    It certainly seems like it will lead to deterioration. However, Irish Water will still be a part of the process, I need them to provide documents and sign off on elements. It would seem that this piece of work is Irish Waters responsibility up until the point where it needs to be paid for.


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    #13
    gnalpp
    Registered Users Posts: 27 ✭gnalpp


    Op here: update on this situation as I think it's important people know about this in case they ever come up against it.

    Irish water still not taking responsibility for a broken pipe under public property (pavement / road) even though the council is adamant that they should.

    I've contacted a contractor to dig the road / replace pipe, have been quoted guts of 10k. I've applied for and gotten a road opening licence and paid the council 2k as a deposit that they hold for 24 months.

    I don't think most people would be able to / should burden this responsibility / cost. The process to achieve the replacement is not clear and the cost burdensome.


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    #14
    harr
    Registered Users Posts: 4,485 ✭✭✭harr


    gnalpp wrote: »
    Op here: update on this situation as I think it's important people know about this in case they ever come up against it.

    Irish water still not taking responsibility for a broken pipe under public property (pavement / road) even though the council is adamant that they should.

    I've contacted a contractor to dig the road / replace pipe, have been quoted guts of 10k. I've applied for and gotten a road opening licence and paid the council 2k as a deposit that they hold for 24 months.

    I don't think most people would be able to / should burden this responsibility / cost. The process to achieve the replacement is not clear and the cost burdensome.
    Op have you looked into your house insurance covering the costs?
    Happened to a neighbor of my parents and like you were left with full responsibility for fixing the pipe but I know they claimed from insurance and yes the cost of insurance did increase but without it they could not have paid the 8k repair bil.


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    #15
    gnalpp
    Registered Users Posts: 27 ✭gnalpp


    harr wrote: »
    gnalpp wrote: »
    Op here: update on this situation as I think it's important people know about this in case they ever come up against it.

    Irish water still not taking responsibility for a broken pipe under public property (pavement / road) even though the council is adamant that they should.

    I've contacted a contractor to dig the road / replace pipe, have been quoted guts of 10k. I've applied for and gotten a road opening licence and paid the council 2k as a deposit that they hold for 24 months.

    I don't think most people would be able to / should burden this responsibility / cost. The process to achieve the replacement is not clear and the cost burdensome.
    Op have you looked into your house insurance covering the costs?
    Happened to a neighbor of my parents and like you were left with full responsibility for fixing the pipe but I know they claimed from insurance and yes the cost of insurance did increase but without it they could not have paid the 8k repair bil.

    That is a good idea. I'll investigate. Thank you.

    I do still think there should be noise around this. I'm in the position where I'm lucky enough to just about be able to sort it. I'm not sure everyone would be the same.


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    #16
    Zoney
    Registered Users Posts: 1,639 ✭✭✭Zoney


    Had a similar experience, shared pipe through back gardens. Problem led to back up through several houses. Irish water wouldn't do a thing for me, but as it turned out, it was their problem. Someone at the end managed to get them out as the problem was where "our" pipe joins the main one.

    Can't see how this magically became private owners problem, given councils would have taken charge of it like all other estate facilities. In fact, I know in some places the council built the pipes through people's private property.

    This isn't something that can be surreptitiously changed like this, I understand the principal of everyone having to look after pipes on their property but that's not what anyone planned when they bought property.

    Claiming on insurance doesn't even sort out what to do if the problem is on someone else's section. And of course if people do claim, not only will their insurance go up, but over time everyone's property insurance will go up a huge amount to cover dodgy pipes.


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    #17
    mad m
    Registered Users Posts: 9,004 ✭✭✭mad m


    I maybe wrong here but insurance companies would want a video or report of pipe. They only pay out if the pipe is collapsed by root intrusion and not just wear and tear.

    Had similar problem out my back (main sewer pipe) had partially broke and was causing paper to catch in cracks and choke the line. Had to get crew into to reline pipe with expoxy resin pipe inflated with balloon.

    Lads told me insurance only payout if weeds or root intrusion. Afaik if council were still in charge they would of probably fixed it either FOC or some type of payment towards costs.

    Op good luck with it.


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