So my basement has been leaking for the last 3 weeks. Getting between 5 and 10 litres a day but seems to have slowed a bit at the moment. The following has been done so far:

1. The water board did a chlorine and ammonia test to rule it out being fresh or sewage (although it stank like sewage)
2. Water board did a dye test on all there drains nearby and nothing came through
3. The council did a dye test on my guttering run off which they helpfully directed into the foundations of my house (no dye has come into the basement since – about 10 days ago)
4. I have drilled a hole my basement floor so the water can drain out (short term solution)

I think 2 is still the cause as we had a load of snow this winter which has effectively been channelled into the foundations of my house and is slowly leaking into the basement. The council won’t do a thing until the dye shows in the basement leak.

Anybody got any thoughts on what to do next? 😕

Its not coming up through the floor then? Table water

Its not coming up through the floor then? Table water

Good point. The council reckon it’s the water table but if the water drains away then it can’t be!

Need to get back on them.

A leak? So what, there’s a hole in your living room floor where half full tins of paint, old tools, kids bikes are coming out of? Is that what you mean?

A leak? So what, there’s a hole in your living room floor where half full tins of paint, old tools, kids bikes are coming out of? Is that what you mean?

Thanks for this.

molgrips – Member
A leak? So what, there’s a hole in your living room floor where half full tins of paint, old tools, kids bikes are coming out of? Is that what you mean?

Better plug that PDQ before your house sinks!! 😀

Utilities tested all surrounding pipes for leaks? (i.e. pipes to neighbours properties?). If they have a water meter they can check for current isage and/or if their pressure has dropped slightly?

Have you ran a number of days with the stopcock turned off?

Have you asked the water company to turn off the water supply from the mains to your house for a couple of days?

Any nearby major construction works (motorways/major builds <1 mile that can affect the water table?)- complete guess but not unfeasable if it affects the flow/direction of said water?

Get a builder in?

Sinks? It’ll affect the foundations.

Utilities tested all surrounding pipes for leaks? (i.e. pipes to neighbours properties?). If they have a water meter they can check for current isage and/or if their pressure has dropped slightly?

Yes. No water meter though.

Have you ran a number of days with the stopcock turned off?

No. Will try that tonight.

Have you asked the water company to turn off the water supply from the mains to your house for a couple of days?

No. Sounds a wee extreme but will consider this as a last resort.

Any nearby major construction works (motorways/major builds <1 mile that can affect the water table?)- complete guess but not unfeasable if it affects the flow/direction of said water?

Yes. Hope this isn’t the cause 😯

Get a builder in?

The council have just told me to get a quote and send them the bill. They may pay it.

Send the council the bill? I’d open a discussion along the lines of they get an inspector from them in now- look at the walls etc and agree if any cracks start (or damp) they’ll settle for this too (a second bill within an agreed timeframe).

Question- why are they paying you? Have they admitted that its them? (confused).

Question- why are they paying you? Have they admitted that its them? (confused).

They will asses if it is there fault before making the payment.

I have a house I rent out and the cellar recently had a small stream running through it (exaggerated for story telling), the plumber checked it out and the water proved not to be sewage. They then looked for drains and pipes leaking and found nothing. Assumption is it was the level of the water table, although a house might be on the flat the table level could be higher, our back garden is a few feet higher and so the assumption it would stop once the levels reached normal, and it has.

next steps: remove everything you care about from the cellar and watch and wait. unless youre on the very peak of a hill.

I have a house I rent out and the cellar recently had a small stream running through it (exaggerated for story telling), the plumber checked it out and the water proved not to be sewage. They then looked for drains and pipes leaking and found nothing. Assumption is it was the level of the water table, although a house might be on the flat the table level could be higher, our back garden is a few feet higher and so the assumption it would stop once the levels reached normal, and it has.

next steps: remove everything you care about from the cellar and watch and wait. unless youre on the very peak of a hill.
I am fairly near the top of a hill. This would be my ideal solution.