CCTV Drain Survey to diagnose a smell drain for an Office Block in Epsom
The Office Complex was a modern building located on a busy road in Epsom, Surrey. Many companies operated from the building. Clare, the property manager, was very proud of the cleanliness of The Office Complex so everything was working as it should. Most tenants were happy with what was offered, and Clare had developed a reputation for a diligent and responsive manager.
Nonetheless, complaints started filtering into Clare’s office by tenants of a bad smell, similar to sewage, that was taking over the building’s common area and the lower floors. Initially, the stench was weak, but gradually over a few weeks it became stronger and more prominent, especially after rainfall. Workers from various offices stated that the smell was beginning to become a distraction, with some even raising the alarm over health risks.
Clare immediately contacted her regular maintenance team to look into the reason for the smell. They looked at the building’s drains, the plumbing, and even the rooftop vents. Nothing looked amiss. As the smothering odour’s source could not be located, Clare was stumped. The odour was starting to impact tenant happiness. Clare knew if this continued too long, some businesses might decide to move away.
Clare thought that maybe it was the drainage system itself that was causing the smell, so she decided to bring in a drainage company to get a second opinion. She called Your Drain Experts because they are experienced, and their advanced drain tech can find the issue in the drainage system without disrupting tenants or needing extensive digging on the property.
We set a date for them to undertake a CCTV drain survey and carry out an investigation in a few days’ time. Our technicians arrived on-site in Surrey and explained that with the CCTV drain survey, we will hopefully be able to see deep inside the building’s drainage system with a small camera that will be fed through the pipes. They would use this to locate any blockages, damage, or issues that may be causing the smell.
The survey started with the team entering the drainage system via manholes and access points outside the building. Clare got to watch the camera travel through the pipes in real-time as it provided footage from inside. It became apparent that something was wrong as the camera moved too far into the drainage network.
The CCTV camera showed a lot of filth and rubbish in parts of the pipes and especially those from lower-floor areas. The technicians saw a partial blockage in one part where a plump layer of fat, grease and food waste lodged in the pipes. This is most likely from one of the cafés. The clog was a breeding ground for bacteria and was causing this smell to leak into the lower floors of the building.
The survey also found cracks in parts of the underground pipes, another serious problem. The wastewater leaking from these cracks made the earth below the building damp. The combination of the leaking wastewater and the build-up of rubbish in the pipes had created a very suitable condition for the bad smell in the office complex.
After the survey was completed, our technicians sat down with Clare to go through the findings. They noted that the smell was due to the partial blockage and bacteria, but the cracked pipes were making it worse by leaking wastewater into the surrounding area. They recommended two steps to fully resolve the problem.
To begin with, they recommended using water jets to remove grease from the drain that causes the smell. Next, they said to dismantle the broken pipes using no-dig drain relining. The process would seal the cracks and prevent any further leakage while avoiding digging, which meant no disturbance for the tenants.
Clare was happy to go ahead with the proposed solution, so only a few days later, our sewer repair team returned to complete the work. The drains were cleared by high-pressure jetting, washing away the grease and other muck that was creating the stink. The experts relined the cracked areas of the pipes to prevent waste leakages from damage and ensure no more leaked sludge in and around the building.
As soon as the repairs were finished, Clare paid close attention to the building over the next few weeks after heavy rainfall. The outcomes were quite apparent – the unpleasant smell that had plagued the tenants was gone altogether. The common areas and down stairs were fresh again and tenants were relieved that the problem was resolved. Clare was quite happy that the issue was resolved without any major disturbance to the people working from the building.
After going through it, Clare said, “We were smelling this awful thing for weeks and it started to affect the businesses in the building.” I’m so glad I contacted your team. After a thorough review of CCTV in the drain, we found out that the problem was deeper than was thought. Your team’s got a professional approach, takes care of everything quickly without disturbing our tenants. Currently, everything is running fine, and there is no smell after our drain repair. I would suggest these guys for any property manager with this type of issue.