What can I do about run-off coming from the road onto my property?

[Zoomzoom]

I am, unfortunately, situated in the lowest point in the road, which is a gravel road. There are no drains or ditches of any kind to direct any run-off and because of how the road is sloped, it all comes into my yard. I have an old Karoo huisie made of unfired clay bricks, the run-off has already undermined one wall, which collapsed when I started to restore the house. What are my rights with regard getting the municipality to control / redirect the run-off out of my property, or at least directed it down my drive in such a way that it doesn't flow into my foundations?

 

[reactor_sa]

Build a mote.

Just kidding. I also get a lot of runoff during storms- goes down the driveway and into my garage.....

 

[Johnatan56]

Build a mote.

Just kidding. I also get a lot of runoff during storms- goes down the driveway and into my garage.....

mote
mōt/
noun
a tiny piece of a substance.

versus

moat
mōt/
noun
1.
a deep, wide ditch surrounding a castle, fort, or town, typically filled with water and intended as a defense against attack.

 

[reactor_sa]

mote
mōt/
noun
a tiny piece of a substance.

versus

moat
mōt/
noun
1.
a deep, wide ditch surrounding a castle, fort, or town, typically filled with water and intended as a defense against attack.

Lol, thanks

 

[rietrot]

Build wall or dig a ditch to redirect the water yourself.

 

[LazyLion]

Open your own dam and pleasure resort.

 

[Zoomzoom]

Build wall or dig a ditch to redirect the water yourself.

yeahhhhhhh

um road is constructed of clay which is set like concrete. Me female i.e. no way on this green earth am I going to effectively dig any kind of effective re-direct besides which where do I re-direct it to? I'm in the dip at the bottom of two hills, and the road is cambered towards my house. There is no way it is going anywhere else but down the side of my house.

1. Aren't there laws about where stormwater / runoff is allowed to go? Or more specifically if there are laws six ways to Sunday about where MY water is and isn't allowed to go doesn't the same apply to the municipality?

2. Are they liable if their water affects the structural integrity of my house? Basically the quickest way to get them to come do something / anything is to hit them in the pocket. That or just be the biggest pain this side of the Mississippi (which I so can be).

I basically just am looking for some ammunition to motivate them off their rear ends to come do something about it.

 

[rietrot]

If its more rural (u have a dirt road) then I'm guessing the municipality won't do anything and isn't liable.
Official storm drains and stuff comes only with proper road infrastructure. I don't know what your property looks like so it's difficult to say what u sould do.

The quickest way to get the municipality to do something is to get someone working there that sympathetic and ask very nicely.

 

[airborne]

There definitely is some kind of regulation that means the municipality has to manage Road drainage, not sure how that works on dirt roads though. Have you tried phoning them yet?

 

[rietrot]

http://sans10400.co.za/stormwater-disposal-2/

Heres the appropriate sans. U should also check the local by laws

 

[SauRoNZA]

Build a mote.

Just kidding. I also get a lot of runoff during storms- goes down the driveway and into my garage.....

From many years spent in De Aar a moat isn't even such a far fetched concept when you see their idea of sewage/gutter systems.

 

[Zoomzoom]

There definitely is some kind of regulation that means the municipality has to manage Road drainage, not sure how that works on dirt roads though. Have you tried phoning them yet?

In town, well within the municipal area, road is paved 1 block away in each direction, mine is just not paved yet. I have municipal water, electricity, telephone etc, but not sewerage and I pay rates, so dirt road or not I jolly well expect them to do something about the water.

http://sans10400.co.za/stormwater-disposal-2/

Heres the appropriate sans. U should also check the local by laws

Thanks. Having a look now. Ok had a look - those are the regs for home owners / builders etc, but nothing in them about the municipality having to ensure their water from the street doesn't come into my property.

If the same law applies to them as it does me, then they are definitely in trouble. All three of these are applicable:


* must not undercut foundations by erosion or flooding
* must drain away from all buildings
* must not allow water to accumulate against or close to external walls

 

[ToxicBunny]

Send them a bill for repairing your property... that might get them jumping

 

[battmann]

You could petition them to build a culvert or put in a storm water drain. But this infrastructure is usually part of the taring process.
Try and find out who is in charge of your roads dept in your area and go see them.

 

[Zoomzoom]

You could petition them to build a culvert or put in a storm water drain. But this infrastructure is usually part of the taring process.
Try and find out who is in charge of your roads dept in your area and go see them.

this is the plan but I've found it helps a great deal if you know what the regulations etc are.

 

[Geoff.D]

Sometimes the only way around this sort of an issue is to get it done yourself.

Years ago in Garsfontein Pretoria, a few of us has a similar problem, 3 houses on a slope on the inside of the natural camber of a road that was not yet completed but tarred up to the last house. The longer term plan showed that the storm water drain would be continued when the road was continued, finally connecting up to the main storm water channel at the bottom of the slope.

After many months of debate and legal battles with the Council, we had to in the end get the storm water pipe laid ourselves all the way to the storm water channel.

What we end up doing is to lay a secondary storm water pipe behind our properties into which we could feed excess storm water off our properties into as well as to divert the water at the top of the road instead of allowing it to wash through our properties on its way down the hill. In the long term other neighbours on the other side of the run joined in the scheme and we all benefitted from it.

Sometimes the only answer to this sort of issue is the one you come up with yourself.

The problem we had was the Council and the "developer" of the area were already involved in a legal battle for failing to develop the area in accordance with the regulations, which was at the root of the problem. About 8 years later, we received some compensation for our efforts. It amounted to about 60 cents in the Rand for the monies we had spent on our solution.

 

[Zoomzoom]

there are 3 of us affected by this although my house is by far the worst of. I'm going to try asking nicely first. then perhaps we can look at joining forces later.

 

[D tj]

What about a line of sandbags as a mini wall to direct the water away from the house to an appropriate area?

 

[Zoomzoom]

What about a line of sandbags as a mini wall to direct the water away from the house to an appropriate area?

A good suggestion and I'm going to look what I can do, but the fact remains that the water from two roads shouldn't be pissing into my property for me to have to deal with.

 

[ezron]

What area/town are you situated. You mentioned karoo house. If its anywhere in the south cape / eden district i might be able to help