What a Section 104 Agreement Is
Section 104 of the Water Industry Act 1991 is the mechanism by which a water company agrees to adopt new sewers built by a developer. Once adopted, the authority takes on responsibility for maintaining them. Across most of Nottingham that authority is Severn Trent.
Adoption is not automatic. The system has to be built and left in a condition the authority is prepared to take on, and a CCTV survey is how that condition is evidenced.
What the Pre-Adoption Survey Covers
We run CCTV through the new drainage and report on the condition of the installed system - line and level, joints, connections, standing water, debris left from construction, and any damage picked up during the build.
Construction damage is the usual finding. New pipework gets driven over, filled with silt and mortar, or knocked out of line during the works, and none of it is visible once the surfaces go down.
Survey Before the Surfaces Go Down
The cheapest time to find a defect in new drainage is while there is still access to it. Once the site is finished, kerbed and surfaced, the same defect costs a great deal more to reach and puts the adoption timetable at risk.
If the survey does find a problem, we can carry out the remedial work - including no-dig relining where the run can be repaired without excavation - and re-survey afterwards so you have clean footage to submit.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Section 104 survey?
A CCTV survey of new drainage carried out to evidence that the system has been built to a standard the water authority will adopt under a Section 104 agreement. It is the record that shows the condition of the system at handover.
When in the build should the survey happen?
While there is still access to the drainage, and before final surfacing. Finding construction damage at that point is a straightforward fix. Finding it afterwards means breaking out finished ground.
What usually shows up on a pre-adoption survey?
Damage and debris from the construction process - silt, mortar, displaced joints, pipework knocked out of line, and standing water where levels have moved. It is rarely a design problem and almost always a build one.
Can you carry out the remedial work as well?
Yes. We can repair what the survey finds, including no-dig relining where excavation can be avoided, and re-survey the run afterwards so you have a clean record to submit.
Do you work with developers and contractors?
Yes. We survey drainage on commercial sites and developments across Nottingham, and can work to a site programme rather than a single appointment.
Book a Section 104 Survey
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