neighbour's sewer overflowing- should I worry?

Neighbours sewer overflowing. should I worry?

My next door neighbour's sewer at the back of their house appears to be blocked and is overflowing into their garden (smallish terraced houses). This has been going on for a number of months and is fairly gross at this stage. I only noticed by chance from an upstairs window and if I hadn't glanced down into their garden I would be none the wiser.

We don't know them that well but they seem very nice (although obviously not very house proud!) and I would hate to embarrass them or cause any friction. I also strongly believe in live and let live and I reckon they would be the last people to complain about anything on our side of the fence.

So I wouldn't dream of saying it to them, except that I'm a bit concerned that it could be a health issue, especially as the weather gets warmer. We don't have kids but do have a cat who has the run of our house and also likes to explore the whole neighbourhood, as cats do....YUK! (though I haven't actually seen him in there)

Do you think I should be worried?
Any suggestions on to how to broach the delicate issue that their back garden is turning into a lake of sh1t?

Re: Neighbours sewer overflowing. should I worry?

The problem is not necessarly in your neighbours garden, as the outflow will occur at the lowest gravitational point, and houses sewerage pipes are connected in series, so the blockage may be elsewhere. Ive got mine cleared (problem in neighbours garden!)for around 100€ with any of the specialist companies around, so maybe a few of you chip in to pay for it. Its its a sewer collapse its anothe matter!

Re: Neighbours sewer overflowing. should I worry?

After alerting your neighbours to the problem you should advise them to phone your local council who will come and try to free the blockage for free, using rods etc. If it is a bigger problem, like a broken pipe or something, all the houses who share that sewer will have to cough up to have it repaired. It would usually be serving 6 to 8 houses. Don't let it go on much longer as it is a huge Health and Environmental issue.

My next door neighbour's sewer at the back of their house appears to be blocked and is overflowing into their garden (smallish terraced houses). This has been going on for a number of months and is fairly gross at this stage. I only noticed by chance from an upstairs window and if I hadn't glanced down into their garden I would be none the wiser.

We don't know them that well but they seem very nice (although obviously not very house proud!) and I would hate to embarrass them or cause any friction. I also strongly believe in live and let live and I reckon they would be the last people to complain about anything on our side of the fence.

So I wouldn't dream of saying it to them, except that I'm a bit concerned that it could be a health issue, especially as the weather gets warmer. We don't have kids but do have a cat who has the run of our house and also likes to explore the whole neighbourhood, as cats do....YUK! (though I haven't actually seen him in there)

Do you think I should be worried?
Any suggestions on to how to broach the delicate issue that their back garden is turning into a lake of you know what?

I would be a bit concerned if it was my neighbour, Is it a main sewer?
You dont have to worry about it not being warm to be a health issue, it already is!! Not wanting to scare you but think Listeria, Botulisim and rats.

I think you should bite the bullet and talk to them. Ask them if they have noticed a bad sewerage smell recently (Just to break the ice).
If you dont feel that you can talk to them, I would call your local Environmental Health office, tell them your problem and ask for advice on what to do.

You shouldn't have to live next to an overflowing sewer.

Duplicate threads merged after original query in breach of the posting guidelines was removed and the original poster re-posted within the posting guidelines. Hence the slightly confusing post ordering above!

Do not delay it may be your sewerage emerging in their garden

Don't think it's the main sewer. It seems to be coming out of the small manhole (AJ?) beside their down pipe. If it's the same arrangement as ours, then a pipe runs from there down to the main sewer further down the garden. Our's is grand so I reckon the prob is before the main sewer.

Another thing is that they seem to have cleared it up themselves a number of times over the months (God knows what they do with it!) but it keeps coming back so it could be a serious problem and expensive to fix. I don't think they're that flush (pardon the pun!). There must be some reason they haven't sorted it by now, as it's right outside their back door.

Does anyone know if the council might be willing to repair it or would it be fully down to the owners to organise and pay for the repairs? What if they can't afford it? Isn't it a public health issue? It is a former corpo house but private now I think.

Is it sewage or not? If it's what normally goes down toilets then you need to knock on their door and tell them and that you happened to notice it from upstairs. Their problem could end up being your problem if it is not sorted soon! As I already said the council will come (for FREE) and look and hopefully fix if its just a blockage. if its a digging job they will charge for the labour and replacement pipe - that s if the problem lies in the garden. They will say that it is the property of the householder. Anything from where it joins the main sewer (usually outside the garden) is the council responsibility to fix and you will not be charged. I know all this 'cos I have been down this road. It cost about E1,800 divided between 6 houses in my case, but this involved getting planning permission, plant hire, digging up concrete, replacing a pipe and paying two men. All done in half a day, no problems since. Expensive, but it had to be done!

It could lead a problem with Rats, I was in the same position before and I noticed a rat going through a gap in the fence between the 2 gardens. Can't say for sure it was anything to do with the overflow though.