Surface Water Claims News

Wishing You a Happy, Healthy 2024

We've put together a short (1m 30s) video to explain what Surface Water Claims is all about and to help you understand whether you may also have been overcharged by your water company - and how we can help you claim you money back.

The team here at Surface Water Claims have developed a comprehensive process which we have documented to show you we progress qualifying claims and to help you understand what is involved. There are a number of factors which can affect the length of time it takes from Engagement to receiving your compensation payout but, based the current averages, we would aim to secure you best possible payout just 11 weeks from Engagement. View the detailed description of Our Process here .

A SOAKAWAY is a structure buried underground close to a property (e.g. under a lawn), usually when it is first built. Soakaways are often formed of crate-like structures, encased in a porous membrane, to create a sort of underground "tank" which can accept water without filling up with mud or other materials. When rain falls on to a property that has a soakaway installed, this creates "surface water" which then runs through pipework from the guttering on the roof (and often other places such as a driveway or patio) directly into the soakaway. This surface water (rain) can then soak naturally back into the soil without needing to run off into the main water drainage networks operated by the various water companies across the UK, such as United Utilities, Northumbrian Water, Severn Trent Water, Southern Water, Thames Water and so on. 2001 Building Regulations changes Over the last 20 years, since new Building Regulations were introduced in 2001, it has been MANDATORY for housing developments and new properties to be built with soakaways, or similar, systems so that the surface water created when it rains on these properties is "self-contained" and does not run off into the main drainage network. For these housing developments built in 2001 or later, these soakaways have sometimes been installed for each individual property, or shared between 2 or more properties depending on the specific layout of the development. Please note that, in some cases - e.g. for medium or larger developments with communal spaces such as parking, a shared green, or children's playground - the development may also have a larger communal soakaway to handle the surface water that may run off individual properties into such communal spaces, but is still handled within the housing development. So, even if the road on a housing development built in 2001 or later has what appear to be "normal" drains in the road, it is likely that these direct water to a communal soakaway and NOT the main drainage network, for which the local water company is entitled to levy a charge. Soakaway Alternatives Please not that, whilst soakaways are by far the most commonly used systems for this type of local rainwater drainage, there are other systems such as SUDS and/or some homes (such as very remote properties or those close to rivers/streams) where surface water similarly does not run off into the main drainage network. If you live in a property that was built in 2001 or later, or a remote property - or if you know you have a soakaway - please start your claim process here.

Wishing You a Happy, Healthy 2023

Watch the Surface Water Claims explainer video to see how water companies have been wrongly charging customers for surface water drainage for many years.

A SOAKAWAY is a structure buried underground close to a property (e.g. under a lawn), usually when it is first built. Soakaways are often formed of crate-like structures, encased in a porous membrane, to create a sort of underground "tank" which can accept water without filling up with mud or other materials. When rain falls on to a property that has a soakaway installed, this creates "surface water" which then runs through pipework from the guttering on the roof (and often other places such as a driveway or patio) directly into the soakaway. This surface water (rain) can then soak naturally back into the soil without needing to run off into the main water drainage networks operated by the various water companies across the UK, such as United Utilities, Northumbrian Water, Severn Trent Water, Southern Water, Thames Water and so on. 2001 Building Regulations changes Over the last 20 years, since new Building Regulations were introduced in 2001, it has been MANDATORY for housing developments and new properties to be built with soakaways, or similar, systems so that the surface water created when it rains on these properties is "self-contained" and does not run off into the main drainage network. For these housing developments built in 2001 or later, these soakaways have sometimes been installed for each individual property, or shared between 2 or more properties depending on the specific layout of the development. Please note that, in some cases - e.g. for medium or larger developments with communal spaces such as parking, a shared green, or children's playground - the development may also have a larger communal soakaway to handle the surface water that may run off individual properties into such communal spaces, but is still handled within the housing development. So, even if the road on a housing development built in 2001 or later has what appear to be "normal" drains in the road, it is likely that these direct water to a communal soakaway and NOT the main drainage network, for which the local water company is entitled to levy a charge. Soakaway Alternatives Please not that, whilst soakaways are by far the most commonly used systems for this type of local rainwater drainage, there are other systems such as SUDS and/or some homes (such as very remote properties or those close to rivers/streams) where surface water similarly does not run off into the main drainage network. If you live in a property that was built in 2001 or later, or a remote property - or if you know you have a soakaway - please start your claim process here.

The Times published a water industry report showing customers have been overcharged £1.7bn