semi-detached housing woes

[CntrlAltDel]

Hi there,
I own part of a semi-detached household (with a single wall separating two houses) in Cape Town.
For the past 10 years I've been having issues with drainage and the sewage system altogether.
Basically both houses share a single sewage line between the two but the main entry to that sewage is on the other plot.
As for the drainage, the houses are at an incline, so when it rains, all the water collects at the back wall of my yard with no direct means of moving it out into the street drainage systems (because it's at an incline).
I've heard from some people that it is necessary for the household that is lower on the incline to take on that water to pass it over to the street drainage.

Both of the above concerns have fairly logical and straight forward reasoning to what the solutions can be but here is the core of the problem.
We've had the city municipal people responsible for sewers and drainage come out multiple times also with those flexible cameras. They were allowed onto the property of the second house and found that an addon was done to that second household at the back that has now subsided and misaligned the sewer line.
When they started inquiring about the legality of that structure and brought in the city inspectors that homeowner flipped on myself and now completely refuses to work with us to get this resolved.
We now have perpetually blocked drainage throughout the whole house with no means of getting the neighbour to cooperate to get this resolved.
I was thinking for the drainage I might be able to get a sump pump and reservoir made at the lowest point of the yard where the rain water collects that would turn on and pump the water up the 30° incline but with the loadshedding I dont know if this would make sense at all our how that may affect the lifespan of the sump pump which are generally very pricey. For the sewage line, I literally have no idea what my options are in that regard.

 

[RonSwanson]

It isn't clear whether your problem is blocked drainage or blocked sewerage.

 

[CntrlAltDel]

It isn't clear whether your problem is blocked drainage or blocked sewerage.

Blocked drainage when it rains. Block sewerage all the time.

 

[RonSwanson]

Blocked sewerage is very serious, it can cause dread disease and death. Have you notified the councils' health department?
You indicated that the council did inspections and started asking questions. Have you followed up with them? Have you notified your ward counsellor so that she can also follow up with them?

 

[CntrlAltDel]

Blocked sewerage is very serious, it can cause dread disease and death. Have you notified the councils' health department?
You indicated that the council did inspections and started asking questions. Have you followed up with them? Have you notified your ward counsellor so that she can also follow up with them?

I've not thought of notifying the health department. That may be an avenue to explore but what would come of that in relation to what is happening here?
Yes, I've followed up with the inspectors they've reported that the home owner was extremely difficult to deal with and hostile towards them. None of their people want to follow up.

 

[Lupus]

I've not thought of notifying the health department. That may be an avenue to explore but what would come of that in relation to what is happening here?
Yes, I've followed up with the inspectors they've reported that the home owner was extremely difficult to deal with and hostile towards them. None of their people want to follow up.

It's their job to sort it out, even if he's difficult to work with. Bring in the law

 

[CntrlAltDel]

It's their job to sort it out, even if he's difficult to work with. Bring in the law

Yes, but there needs to be process before things escalate to that. I don't even know where to start. The municipal people are not budging and my neighbour is less likely to budge than even them.

 

[Lupus]

Yes, but there needs to be process before things escalate to that. I don't even know where to start. The municipal people are not budging and my neighbour is less likely to budge than even them.

Keep hounding them, sewerage is really a health concern

 

[RonSwanson]

I've not thought of notifying the health department. That may be an avenue to explore but what would come of that in relation to what is happening here?

Faeces are deadly. Have a discussion with your counsellor: Do you think that someone might be concerned if they had an outbreak of a easily transmissible disease like cholera, or diarrheogenic E. coli on their hands? If it's the health department, get them out. Whomever is responsible, put pressure on them. If they argue, tell them that you will go to the press and social media.

 

[CntrlAltDel]

Faeces are deadly. Have a discussion with your counsellor: Do you think that someone might be concerned if they had an outbreak of a easily transmissible disease like cholera, or diarrheogenic E. coli on their hands? If it's the health department, get them out. Whomever is responsible, put pressure on them. If they argue, tell them that you will go to the press and social media.

So the reason why the muncipal most likely are dragging their feet is because it's not near this bad. When I mentioned Blocked I dont mean 100%, just very difficult to get water moving. An enormous amount of water has to be cycled to get everything moving that is true for the faucets also. Alot of patience and alot of water.

 

[RonSwanson]

So the reason why the muncipal most likely are dragging their feet is because it's not near this bad. When I mentioned Blocked I dont mean 100%, just very difficult to get water moving. An enormous amount of water has to be cycled to get everything moving that is true for the faucets also. Alot of patience and alot of water.

It might not look bad to you, but sewerage that does not move, is bad, and a health hazard. What if the pipe bursts? Get your councillor on it, give them the ref number of the tickets that you have logged, and follow up regularly, it is what they are paid to do.

Also for your storm water drainage, it may not seem bad, but it is. Water that stands still is a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other nuisance insects, and pathogens. Moreover, some areas here in Gauteng have dolomite that literally crumbles away after water stands for too long. Storm water needs to get back to the sea, and whether it's a neighbour or the municipality that is lower than you, they need to build the civils necessary to take it away. Hit a hole in the wall if you have to, to let it drain away.

 

[TheMightyQuin]

They were allowed onto the property of the second house and found that an addon was done to that second household at the back that has now subsided and misaligned the sewer line.
When they started inquiring about the legality of that structure

This is the most important part: if the add-on is NOT on any building plans, it has to be removed. At least that is what I have heard.

Is this no longer the case?

 

[bwana]

You could probably rid yourself of the standing water by putting in a drainage field but the sewage is the bigger problem. The qn is do you want to maintain a reasonable relationship with the guy on the other side of the wall?

 

[CntrlAltDel]

This is the most important part: if the add-on is NOT on any building plans, it has to be removed. At least that is what I have heard.

Is this no longer the case?

Speaking with City, they've stated that they would have to "lift up his kitchen" and that their (City) resources have been defunded so they cannot afford to lift his kitchen floor up to do the changes and the make the needed repairs to the sewage pipes. Then conversation returned to my neighbour, he says he's not willing to pay for the a new kitchen floor "end of discussion".
Seems I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.

 

[rodga]

Speaking with City, they've stated that they would have to "lift up his kitchen" and that their (City) resources have been defunded so they cannot afford to lift his kitchen floor up to do the changes and the make the needed repairs to the sewage pipes. Then conversation returned to my neighbour, he says he's not willing to pay for the a new kitchen floor "end of discussion".
Seems I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Why would the city need to pay for correcting your neighbours illegal addition?

 

[Corelli]

Hi there,
I own part of a semi-detached household (with a single wall separating two houses) in Cape Town.
For the past 10 years I've been having issues with drainage and the sewage system altogether.
Basically both houses share a single sewage line between the two but the main entry to that sewage is on the other plot.
As for the drainage, the houses are at an incline, so when it rains, all the water collects at the back wall of my yard with no direct means of moving it out into the street drainage systems (because it's at an incline).
I've heard from some people that it is necessary for the household that is lower on the incline to take on that water to pass it over to the street drainage.

Both of the above concerns have fairly logical and straight forward reasoning to what the solutions can be but here is the core of the problem.
We've had the city municipal people responsible for sewers and drainage come out multiple times also with those flexible cameras. They were allowed onto the property of the second house and found that an addon was done to that second household at the back that has now subsided and misaligned the sewer line.
When they started inquiring about the legality of that structure and brought in the city inspectors that homeowner flipped on myself and now completely refuses to work with us to get this resolved.
We now have perpetually blocked drainage throughout the whole house with no means of getting the neighbour to cooperate to get this resolved.
I was thinking for the drainage I might be able to get a sump pump and reservoir made at the lowest point of the yard where the rain water collects that would turn on and pump the water up the 30° incline but with the loadshedding I dont know if this would make sense at all our how that may affect the lifespan of the sump pump which are generally very pricey. For the sewage line, I literally have no idea what my options are in that regard.

Depends how much rain there is, you can build a french drain as well. Basically a hole full of stones etc and the water fills up and then drains naturally underground (ideally not close to your house itself).

However the city council should deal with this mess.

Is there no way off your property onto the street in any other direction, to change the sewerage pipes. How do you connect to the road then? Personally I would try running it via a different route if possible.

 

[SHL]

WATCH | Drained and frustrated: Cape Town family at wits' end as raw sewage floods home ... again | News24

A frustrated Cape Town family said raw sewage repeatedly flows out of three manholes near their property in Table View and the system needs to be rerouted to prevent it from happening again.

www.news24.com

 

[deweyzeph]

A friend of mine had the exact same problem, although the houses are fully detached. All the houses on his side of the street had the main sewer line running through their back gardens. His house was the end of the line so whenever the line got blocked it affected him the worst, because the other houses' sewage would backup to his house and pop the metal sewage man hole cover in his garden. The municipality also came with their cameras and inspected everything and determined that the old metal sewage line had rusted so badly that tree roots and sand were blocking it. It had to be replaced. Unfortunately almost every single one of his neighbours on his side of the street had built extensions to their properties in their back gardens that were now sitting directly on top of the main sewage pipe that needed to be replaced. Lots of questions were asked as to how this was allowed to happen, few answers unfortunately as well.