Sewers!!! The foul and storm water drains run at the back of the house, which we knew. The original record drawing showed the sewers further out in the garden.Wessex Water have written to us to say they are within 3 metres. Not only that their records show that they are deep (approx 2 metres). Their rules prohibit construction within 2 metres horizontally of their infrastructure if below 1.5 metres. If only we had got this project out of the ground before October 2010 we would only need to satisfy the Building Regulations for building near to a sewer. Since October, however, the water authorities around the country have adopted all shared sewers and lateral drains, which means that the sewer in our garden is now part of the public sewer system.

I am determined that this will be resolved. Right now, I don’t know how, but there has got to be a way. If Wessex Water’s records (incomplete records) are correct, that means our existing house is already too close to the sewer. The letter from Wessex Water says that diversion may be necessary if we are to build further out. This sounds horrendous.

To be continued…