Hello kayjay,

Don't get me started on drain problems. We have had the same trouble for years. Every time the main sewer was blocked or,as was more often the case, just struggling to cope with the amount of rain, sewage would come up through our drains. Fortunately (and this may be of some consolation to you) it was so diluted by all the water that it never caused any long term problems for the garden. It wasn't so much the sewage that bothered me more the chemicals and bleaches that might have been present.

Allthough the water authority were always good about clearing the blockage,on the few occasions that there was one, and cleaning up, they have never done anything to alleviate the problem of the drains not being able to cope with the amount of rain, (costs money).

We eventually sorted the problem by fitting a non return valve to the drain. It lets waste flow away but will not allow it to come back if the sewers are full. The only down side to this is that when the valve is being held shut by the pressure of the waste in the sewer (that would normally be pouring out onto our garden) we cannot discharge any waste into the sewers. Fortunately, as soon as the levels in the main sewer start to drop the valve will allow our waste to pass through it.

It should come as no surprise that we had to fund the work ourselves. Luckily we only had to buy the materials as i was able to do the work myself.

If the problem is likely to re-occur I would definitely reccomend fitting one. Unfortunately, I can't remember what it is called (we call it 'the S%%T flap') or where we got it from. Try a google - non return valve.

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It is the doom of man, that they forget.