The newly elected Conservative government has committed to creating 275,000 affordable housing units by 2020. In this context, the volume of applications for section 104 agreements is expected to increase exponentially. To avoid delays and additional costs for their projects, developers need to consider drainage planning and make important decisions – including material selection – as soon as possible. A Section 104 agreement (under the Water Industry Act 1991) is an agreement between a developer and a sewerage company for the adoption of sewer systems for development. There are strict rules for getting an agreement that can be a minefield for developers. The process is often on the critical path of a project and decisions related to it can have a huge impact on costs. In Wales, mandatory building standards require that an agreement be in place under Section 104 before development can progress. Since this legislation is likely to be implemented in England, it is essential that all stakeholders in housing projects understand the process. Allows water companies and local authorities easy access to drainage systems The engineering advisor will launch a rainwater management project against a selected storm return period and an agreed discharge limit. This generally occurs for both a “1 in 30” storm event and a storm event in 100 years, plus the consideration of climate change, the former being most often taken over by the sanitation companies concerned and the latter generally managed by the private sector. The 7th edition of WRc Sewers for Adoption (SFA7) and amendments to the Water Industry Act 1991 (WIA1991) is responsible for transferring water to businesses for all existing private sewers and side sewers connected to the public sewer system.

A smooth design and submission process often means that sewers are easier to accept and that attachment to the developer can be reduced – often leading to a faster and more cost-effective construction program. For water management strategies to be successfully approved and for an agreement to be reached under Section 104, it is important to assess the needs of each site in order to provide the optimal solution. The versatility of plastic tube systems means that a number of wells, which can be channeled and channeled to reception specifications, are also available for acceptance specifications, to ensure that water passes through the system and that obstructions are reduced to reduce maintenance costs. All new sewers and side sewers built by the developers are now subject to mandatory water company acceptance by a WIA1991 Section 104 agreement.