1930s Build - Water Around Foul Drainage Pipe

[Peteacrosschina]

Hi All,

Looking for some advice, I was looking to extend my drainage for a new conservatory however after breaking through a concrete floor and digging down I’ve noticed a foul smell. Having dug further there’s a lot of water around the foul drainage soil pipe (see photo). It doesn’t drain away or get any higher. There’s no obvious gulley though and having felt around the pipe there is just soil and stones down there and the water does smell foul. All the earth nearby is sodden and having lifted some slabs, they’re wet underneath. Is this normal for a build of this age (1932)? Trying to understand if this is just the system design of the age or whether there is a big issue with my drainage. I’ve also dug a pilot hole , which slowly fills with water, down to the foundations but have not been able to find a drainage pipes but don’t want to dig any further. There is a ceramic gulley for the bath/basin which I plan to dig out tomorrow to find some connecting pipes and gauge the depth of the system and potential to extend. However, I would welcome any advice on this issue and whether I need to be doing further work.

Thanks

Pete

 

[WC1]

Could be all sorts of things but essentially, foul smelling water coming up from the ground in quantity is not normal.
Perhaps the kitchen waste has been tied in to a soakaway, today we put a lot more fat into the waste and it can clog up a soakaway and spoil it.
I am surprised by standing foul water at that level without a blockage somewhere. Have you lifted any manhole covers downstream?

 

[Ric2013]

Is that joint leaking?