When our Hampshire Misconnections team went to check reports of sewage in Tanners Brook last May, they got ready to investigate the source.
The importance of finding misconnections
Our Misconnections team are used to checking the network for any misconnections coming from properties. They are experts at working out which homes may have their wastewater incorrectly connected to the surface water sewer instead of the foul sewer. It’s an important job, as misconnections can cause pollution.
Locating misconnections in Southampton
In May, the Hampshire Misconnection Investigation team and our service partners Cappagh Browne were asked to check two Southampton locations, to see if there were misconnected properties affecting the river called Tanners Brook. A problem at the river, which runs into the tidal estuary of Southampton water, had been alerted to us by the Environment Agency. Here’s what the team found:
- Three misconnected properties - at the first location, three misconnected properties had been built on the footprint of a house from the 1950s/60s. The team searched by lifting manhole covers on the surface water system and taking samples of the water within these manholes, as well as using chemical test equipment to test for Ammonia. They also used dye tracing and portable CCTV equipment to locate and show which properties were misconnected.
- Five more misconnected properties - on the redeveloped site of a former pub, a further five properties were found to be misconnected. They were identified using our service partners MTS mainline and CCTV rigs.
- Eight additional misconnected properties - a further problem in Tanners Brook was quickly identified to be due to eight misconnected properties. The homes had also been constructed on the site of a former pub. The misconnections were found using a combination of inspecting the discharging outfall, employing mapping techniques and using the team’s experienced instincts. All properties have now been diverted and correctly connected to the foul sewer system.
A total of 160 facilities were misconnected, including 40 toilets and 16 appliances, such as washing machines.
Checking for more misconnections in the area
Further investigations are taking place in the area, to check if there are any more misconnections that can be put right. A 4km walk of Tanners Brook is underway to check all the outfalls along the route to see if they carry any signs of misconnections. Any properties found to have been incorrectly connected, will be sorted out.
What you can do to help
It’s important to check that properties are correctly connected to the foul sewer, so that wastewater goes to our treatment plants to be cleaned, before going back into our rivers and seas. This protects our precious environmental resources, and the wildlife living there, from pollution. You can help the team by doing a check for misconnections in your own home.
Find out more about your sewers and drains.