Following on from our previous blog about Local Authority Searches, another conveyancing search that will be carried out during the majority of purchase transactions is the drainage and water search. It is a crucial part of the conveyancing process, but it can be confusing to navigate, particularly for first time buyers.
For more help with drainage and water searches, you can contact our residential conveyancing solicitors today. Alternatively, you can call 0800 988 7756 or fill in the enquiry form and our team will call you back.
| What is a drainage and water search?
A water and drainage search is an investigation into how your property connects to the mains water and sewage, as well as an assessment into any public water pipes or sewers on the property. The search will reveal the condition of the mains connection and the location of any public sewers and water pipes that might need maintenance and defined ownership.
Let’s look at some of the important issues that are identified by the drainage and water search.
| Drainage to a public sewer
Your solicitor needs to check that foul water and surface water drains to a public sewer. If the drains are not connected to a public sewer, the homeowner will deal with the water and drainage privately, and you will need the seller to provide evidence of how this is done and the cost of upkeep and disposal.
If the property has a private means of drainage and sewerage, such as on a farmland or isolated properties, then there may be a septic tank or cesspool for sewerage or a soakaway or private watercourse for surface water. As a purchaser, you will need to consider whether you are happy to maintain such systems.
If the surface water drains to a public sewer, the search should indicate how much this costs per year.
| Public sewers in the boundaries
The search will indicate whether there are public sewers, mains or drains within the boundary of the property.
If there are sewers, mains or drains within the boundary of the property and the property has been built since 1 July 2011, it will be the householder’s responsibility to maintain them. You may, therefore, want to inspect the condition of any sewers, mains or drains in the property before inheriting the responsibility.
If your property was built prior to 2011, the utility company may have rights to access the pipes, and therefore they should not be built over so as not to cause obstruction when repairing or maintaining.
If there is a public sewer, main or drainpipe running through the property boundary, your solicitor should check with the seller that it has not been built over or, if it has, that there is adequate legal paperwork in place to allow the build over. Your conveyancer would usually enquire whether the water authority has ever requested access to the sewers for any works during the seller’s ownership. If you are involved in a dispute over the responsibility for water management, speaking to a residential property dispute resolution solicitor can offer you insights.
| Why do I need a drainage and water search when buying a property?
The drainage search is important because it reveals important information about the property details, helping the buyer to understand how the property will need to be charged for water and wastewater services.
The amount of billable water charges and mains surface water drainage charges you will need to pay when buying the property will be directly impacted by the results of the search.
| Is the property connected to mains water?
The search will confirm whether the property is connected to the water mains and the classification of the water. This will show whether the water is soft or hard in the area, as well as give you an indication of who the water company is, the services that they provide, and whether the property is connected to a public water supply.
You can also get an idea of whether the property is connected to mains water by asking the seller or estate agent, looking at the property’s energy Performance Certificate (EPC) or checking with the local water authority.
| Who provides the water and sewerage services?
The provider of the water and sewerage services will depend on the location of the property. Different companies cover different regions in the UK, and you can find out more about who provides what ahead of your drainage and water search by asking the seller or estate agent, looking at any recent water bills, or visiting the Water UK website. Water and drainage searches will also reveal a lot of other critical information about the property.
| Who carries out the drainage and water search?
Typically, the drainage and water search will be carried out by your conveyancing solicitor or a licensed conveyancer as a key part of the legal property purchase process. Your solicitor will make a request to the local water authority or another regulated search provider, and the search will be conducted through the local water and sewerage company.
| How is the water charged?
Finally, the search will indicate whether the property is charged by a rateable value or a water meter within the property. This is particularly important as a purchaser as it will affect the cost of your water usage.
The drainage and water search may be particularly difficult to interpret as an individual purchaser, particularly if you have not purchased a property before. Your solicitor is on hand to ensure that any issues identified in any of the searches are brought to your attention and resolved, if possible, with the seller.
| What are the risks of not doing this search?
Water and drainage searches are crucial when buying a property as they reveal essential information about the services of the home. If you don’t do these searches, you may not know if the surface water drainage is not connected to the mains, which could lead to sky-high water bills and risk possible flooding issues.
The search will also identify whether there is a public sewer within the boundary of a property or a sewer pipe within the boundary, which may pose a threat to future building developments.
It could also confirm the property’s connection to foul water drainage as part of waste management. Skipping the search may leave you unaware of key maintenance responsibilities or legal restrictions, possibly leading you to more expenses down the line.
| Contact our solicitors for advice on your drainage and water search
If you are thinking of purchasing a property or you are selling a property which you believe to have an issue with water provisions, you can contact our residential conveyancing solicitors today for help, or alternatively, you can call 0800 988 7756 or fill in the enquiry form and our team will call you back.
