Insurance claim

JPW

I'm not looking for legal advise as such maybe just direction.
We have a water leak we believe is from the sewer. This has been disputed by the water company for now close to 18 months despite them relining the pipe recently.
All the works they have done has stopped the leak into our property for now but we are left with not knowing the exact cause and a worry the problem is not fixed because they won't accept liability. 100 litres a day was entering this tme last year and after rain fall. There is no other source other than ground water of course but we are buried into a pavement and so the sewer runs right by our house and is 100 years old.
weve had private drainage surveyor say its the sewer and its a combined storm and sewer so explains the rain fall connection.
We need absolute proof to make a claim and put our house right, our insurers wont pay out until the problem is fixed and the sewer is not their problem,
My question is I have appealed via email that there are 2 people forced to live in this situation one with a disability and one a cancer patient and yet it seems no one cares. I have emailed everyone. Ombudsman, offfat, water company, council, everyone and no one really cares. Ive thought about the papers as the bad publicity makes things happen but anxious to make it public yet if it makes something happen then so be it.
Any ideas anyone or direction?

ps I have sought legal advise and direction already via my insurers but they state 'we need to know the exact source of the water'
do i dig up the pavement myself?

Thank you Jason

chiarieds

Hi @JPW - if you own your property, I would suggest having a look at your Title Deeds which you may have, or your solicitor. This might shed some light on who has responsibility for the sewerage pipe depending where your boundaries are. Otherwise I imagine you would have to ask whomever you're renting from for clarification as to who owns the pipes.

There's some advice here: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/water/water-supply/sewerage/who-is-responsible-for-repairing-drains-and-sewers/    

So it seems you can ask for a sewer map, which the sewerage company will then have to provide. It would also seem a little odd that the pipes in question have been relined, altho the company say they are not accepting any liability. It does seem that relining pipes is effective & should remain so for a long time. Please see: https://www.architecturelab.net/what-is-pipe-relining-and-how-does-it-work/

I hope some of this may help.