Sewer pipes which were buried deep beneath the river line at Holmfirth have become exposed after years of erosion. And, the chief constable of the Graveship of Holme, Arthur Quarmby, has warned that unless something is done, the pipes could pose a serious pollution threat.

The exposed pipes could pose a problem if they were broken by a falling tree or further erosion. Mr Quarmby has said that the flow rate of the river Holme increased in 1944 after a weir was removed, the consequential reduction in silt levels has resulted in the pipes being exposed after all these years.

If the pipes did break, it would result in damaging consequences for Holmfirth, as thousands of gallons of raw sewage may run through the village.

The sewer problem seems to have hit a snag however, as it has yet to be established who owns the exposed pipes. A spokesperson from Yorkshire Water stated that up to now they have been unable to determine if they owned the pipes. She stated:

“We take our environmental responsibilities seriously and will be sending out a technician to investigate the pipes across this section of the River Holme.

“Our records show that there is a public sewer in the area, but the pipes could also be private and owned by other individuals, which we will know once we have visited the location.

“We carry out a regular programme of pipe inspections across the region to check that they are operating as they should be and are suitably protected and positioned for their surrounding environments.

“Once we have determined whether the pipes in question are public sewers that are still in use we will assess their suitability to the location.”

There were huge problems for traffic on the A34 in Stafford last week when a drain collapsed under a busy section of the road.

Road users faced severe delays whilst repairs took place to the sewer.

The repair had initially been expected to take only a few days, but the discovery of a gas main in the same trench forced drainage experts from Severn Trent Water to stop digging until National Grid Gas made the site safe.

Temporary traffic lights were put in place during the repair, with delays of an hour experienced by some motorists.

A spokesperson from Severn Trent Water stated:

“We’ve not been able to progress further with the sewer pipe repair as we’re still assessing how best to tackle what’s needed.

“The excavated trench contains gas and water pipes as well the damaged sewer pipe, and we need to make sure we take a safe and practicable approach to the repairs.

“In the meantime, the excavation has been safely enclosed by barriers and traffic is able to flow freely past the spot.

“We apologise for any inconvenience the delay in repairs may cause.”

Large drainage problems like this will usually have to be dug to be repaired. However, if you have a problem with the drainage pipe that leads from your home to the public sewer, a liner repair will sometimes be all that is needed to repair the pipe.

The South London Circular is still closed after a sewer collapsed on Friday the 13th of August. The sewer in question is on London Road in Forrest Hill near the Forest Hill Sainsbury’s store.

Thames Water is carrying out repairs to the sewer, including rebuilding of a section of the sewer. The road is currently closed between Dartmouth Road and Sydenham Hill and a diversion is in place. Drivers have been warned to expect severe delays because of the ongoing repair work.

A spokesperson for Thames Water stated:

“The rebuild of this section of sewer is expected to take about two weeks.

“We are really sorry for the inconvenience this is causing road-users.”

Sewer and drain problems can have severe consequences for those of us that live in a big city like London. However, daily life must go on while the repairs are carried out.

Drainage problems in London are not confined to public sewer systems either. The drains that leave your property are your responsibility until they reach the public sewer system. For this reason it’s important that they are checked on a regular basis by a professional drain maintenance expert, so problems can be located and rectified quickly.

Sewage treatment centres are dotted up and down the country. Without them, our way of life would be drastically different and the hygiene levels we have all become accustom to would deteriorate. But what happens at a sewage treatment centre?

At a sewage treatment centre the effluent goes through the following processes:

• Large objects and debris are removed.
• The sewage flows into tanks. The solid matter sinks to the bottom and is removed as sludge.
• Biological treatment of the sewage takes place. Liquid is passed through bacteria laden filters which feed off the waste thus cleaning the water.

Some local councils also use a treatment called an activated sludge process, where bacteria is mixed with effluent in large tanks which blow air into the sludge mixture. It can then enter settlement tanks so any solids that remain can be removed and the water can then be put back into the environment. The treated effluent is then pumped back into local rivers or the sea.

We rely on the drains that take this effluent to treatment centres on a daily basis. However, we rarely check they are performing to the best of their ability. If you have a drain maintenance professional, they will be able to perform a CCTV survey on your drainage system to highlight any potential problems.

We often report on blocked drainage problems, so we thought we would give you some information on basic drainage systems and how they operate.

We all have drains that take sewage from our properties to the sewage treatment centres that are dotted around the country. The drain that leaves your house can serve just your property, or it may connect with your neighbour’s property, however it is worth noting that it is your responsibility until it connects to the public sewer system.

The public sewer collects the sewage from properties so it can flow to your nearest sewage treatment works. This sewer is likely to be underneath the road outside your home and many pipes will connect into it before the effluent reaches the treatment centre.

The sewage that reaches the treatment works will be made up from water from your kitchen sink, washbasin, showers and baths, toilet waste and rainwater from road systems.

Most sewage is organic so it can be treated using organic, natural processes, however every year hundreds of thousands of pounds is spent nationally, removing things that should not be put into the sewerage system such as sanitary products, waste cooking oil and fats.

The disposal of non-sewerage items doesn’t just cost the taxpayer this money, it may also affect you more directly. Plumbing bills and drain unblockage costs have to be met by the homeowner if the blockage is in the drain before it meets the public sewer. And in severe cases, you could be prosecuted and fined for contravening section 111 of the Water Industry Act 1992.