📘 What Is a Section 104 Inspection?
Section 104 agreements, under the Water Industry Act 1991, are required when developers intend for sewers to be adopted by a local water authority. These inspections ensure that the installed drainage systems are:
✅ Built to the approved design
✅ Compliant with DCG (Design and Construction Guidance)
✅ Ready for long-term adoption and maintenance
During this visit, our engineers conducted a thorough review, lifting manholes, inspecting chambers, and checking all pipework layouts against the as-built drawings.
🚨 Issue Identified: Outfall Non-Compliance
One key issue we picked up was related to the outfall structure
📸 As you can see from the image, the outfall has been built with too many courses of brickwork, exceeding adoption standards.
Yorkshire Water has strict requirements for outfall design to ensure performance, maintenance access, and structural integrity. Unfortunately, the current construction doesn’t comply, which would prevent it from being adopted.
🛠️ Remedial Works – Managed by Paddick
Rather than let this delay the project, our team stepped in to project manage the remedial works needed to bring the structure up to standard. This includes:
🔁 Redesigning the outfall detail
👷♀️ Coordinating with the groundworks team
📏 Ensuring compliance with Yorkshire Water guidelines
🗓️ Keeping works on schedule and avoiding delays
Our goal is always to anticipate issues early, resolve them efficiently, and keep developments progressing smoothly.
🚀 Why Early Inspection Matters
This site visit shows the value of getting inspections done before final handover. Early identification of non-compliant work allows us to:
✔️ Avoid costly rework
✔️ Minimise delays
✔️ Deliver a compliant, adoptable drainage system
🤝 Work With Us
Whether it’s a one-off inspection or full drainage project management, Paddick offers the expertise and on-site support to keep your development compliant and on track.
Have Any Questions? Get In Touch Today!
