Sewer repairs will start in Bristol this week as Wessex Water aims to modernise around 550 metres of Victorian pipework.

The water company are investing around £160,000 into sewer repairs along Gloucester Road and later along Ashley Down Road in Bristol. In all approximately 550 meters of sewer pipe will be inspected and necessary repairs made.

Most of the work on the sewers will use trenchless technology, so disruption should be at a minimum, although three way lights will be installed on Gloucester Road at the junction of Ashley Down Road to manage traffic flow.

All the works are expected to be completed by the end of March.

The project manager for the sewer repair scheme, Nick Cripps, said:

“CCTV investigations of the sewers found them to be in a structurally poor condition, so it is essential that we carry out these repairs.

“We will be using a range of trenchless techniques, replacing the previous method of traditional open cut which would add another month onto the timescale of the work. The trenchless methods will significantly reduce disruption to traffic and local residents.”

The drainage that leaves your property can have different names depending where in the drainage system the pipes sit. Some people occasionally get these terms confused and use them interchangeably.

Drain ownership responsibility changed on the first of October last year. Here are a few of the common terns used with explanations:

A drain explained

A waste pipe that serves one property only is usually classed as a drain

What is a lateral drain?

A lateral drain is the term used to describe part of your drainage which sits outside your property boundary.

So what’s a sewer?

Sewers are waste water pipes which serve more than one property. These can either be public owned or privately owned.

All private drains are the responsibility of the homeowner, as is all drainage within the property itself. If any of these drains become blocked it is thus up to the homeowner to choose a suitable drainage company who will be able to deal with the problem.

Most drainage problems are fixed quite easily by either jetting the pipe to remove the blockage.

Since the beginning of October 2011 government enforced changes to the ownership of drains has left many homeowners confused as to who is responsible should they have a drainage problem.

It used to be the case that the homeowners themselves were responsible for all the waste water drainage which left their property until it reached the public sewer system. This could even involve a stretch of pipework which was not within your property boundary.

The changes meant that all the lateral drains and private sewers would now form part of the public sewer network. Put simply, if any drain on your land is used by more than one property it will now be the local waste water company’s responsibility. It also means that when the drain leaves your boundary it is no longer your responsibility.

The changes mean that waste water companies now have thousands of miles of extra drainage to look after which has put them under increasing strain.

It’s worth noting that any drainage which is solely used by yourself is still your responsibility and costs for repairs to these pipes must be met by the homeowner.

An innovative sewer treatment which uses ‘fat-busting’ bugs began in the sewers of York last week.

The process which will take place at various city hot-spots and will see the bugs attack the build-up of fat, oils and grease and hence restore the drainage to its previous working state.

The bacillus bacteria used is more commonly found in the human gut but is instead being used in high volumes down the sewers to break down the fatty deposits.

The bacteria culture was first used in trials over the Christmas period to cope with the excess fat which gets deposited down the drains at this time of year. But its latest use is the first time Yorkshire Water has launched a sustained attack on the fat in one specific location.

Patrick Killgallon, the pollution manager at Yorkshire Water, revealed that over 1,500 blockages were dealt with by drainage experts over the last eight months and the company was keen to adopt a new approach to drain unblocking. He stated:

“The deployment of fat-busting bugs in our sewer network is an example of this, with these ‘good’ bacteria literally feasting on solidified fat in our sewer. And because these bacteria constantly multiply in the right environment, we can leave them to get on with their job in our sewers, seven days a week, 24 hours a day, without the need for regular dosing.”

Most drainage pipes work for years with little problem. Most of us just pour bleach down the drain on a regular basis and that is where our relationship with the drain ceases. However when a drainage problem raises its ugly head it can cause significant problems and thousands of pounds of damage.

Although many people are now educated on what can and what can’t be flushed down the drainage system, drain engineers in London still see a wide range of drainage problems which have been caused by people flushing incorrect items down the drain.

Non-disposable items include:

• Nappies
• Wet wipes
• Cotton wool buds
• Facial wipes
• Sanitary wear
• Fats and grease

All the above items should be disposed of in the general waste and not flushed down the toilet.

When blockages do occur most can be removed by the simple process of drain jetting. A jet of water under high pressure is inserted into the drain and the force of the water is usually enough to break through the clog and restore the pipe to its previous waste carrying capacity. If any physical debris has been blocking the drain this can then usually be removed via the nearest manhole cover.