Surface Water

Surface water charges

Drainage charges rest on assumptions. Test them.

Many commercial water bills include a charge for draining rainwater from roofs, yards and car parks into the public sewer. The figure depends on supplier records of your site area and drainage routes. Where those records are wrong, Portrait measures the site, corrects the account and reclaims the overpayment.

No reduction, no fee

For qualifying instructions the LiDAR scan is arranged at no upfront survey charge under signed terms. Our fee applies only if a qualifying reduction, refund or agreed saving is achieved.

The issue

Why surface water bills are so often wrong

Charges are typically set from historic site areas, mapped boundaries and broad assumptions about where water goes. Sites change. Surfaces are replaced, drainage is rerouted, and boundaries are redrawn, while the billing record stays put.

Chargeable area based on outdated or generalised measurements

Roofs and hardstanding that drain to soakaway, SUDS or a watercourse, not the sewer

Shared estates where apportionment between occupiers was never resolved

Charge bands that no longer match the measured extent of the premises

The method

Scan, analyse, evidence, reclaim

01

Scan

LiDAR capture of roofs, yards and surfaces produces a measured schedule of the site as it drains today.

02

Analyse

We set the measured areas against the water company's records, tariff bands and drainage assumptions.

03

Evidence

Findings go into a supplier-ready pack: measured plans, drainage routes and the corrected charge basis.

04

Reclaim

We pursue the correction and any backdated refund with the supplier or wholesaler, and report the outcome.

Ask for a drainage charge review

Send the site address and a recent water bill. We come back in writing with a view on whether the charge basis looks sound, and what a review would involve. No fee for the check.

Free initial review of bill and mapped site records

Clear yes or no on whether a case exists

No reduction, no fee route for qualifying sites

I, (an authorised person on behalf of the company hereby grant Portrait Group Limited and its representatives, the authority to act on behalf of the company in relation to the supply of its water. This can include (but not limited to): • Discussing the water supply with the relevant provider and any organisation responsible for the provision or maintenance of the service. • Discussing waste water management & charges with the relevant provider. • Discussing matters relating to invoices / billing & rebates. Furthermore, Portrait Group Limited may receive and examine any notices, documents or information related to such matters and handle them accordingly. This Letter of Authority is proof of my consent and authority given to Portrait Group Limited to act on our behalf.

I agree to the terms and conditions.

Two minutes with a water bill is enough to start

A first assessment is free and commits you to nothing. We reply in writing with a clear view of whether a case is worth pursuing.

Surface Water Charge Audit & Reclaim

Solutions / Savings & Recoveries

Surface water audit and reclaim, in detail

Drainage charges sit inside wastewater bills for years without review. On multi-let estates, older buildings and any site with soakaways or private drainage, the true position is rarely visible from the bill. Portrait's audit establishes it, documents it and pursues the correction.

No reduction, no fee

Qualifying single-site audits run under signed no reduction, no fee terms. Portfolio audits are quoted per instruction, scoped to records, site count and evidence required.

The audit route

From bill to backdated refund

01

Bill and records review

Charges, tariff bands and supplier records examined against mapped site data.

02

Site evidence

Roofs, surfaces and drainage routes measured and documented where the desk review justifies it.

03

Claim pack

Findings assembled into claim-ready documentation for the retailer, wholesaler or water company.

04

Correction and reclaim

Tariffs corrected for the future and overpayment reclaimed for the past, reported at each stage.

Where cases succeed

The profiles that repay an audit

Complex and multi-let estates

Apportionment between occupiers, shared yards and common areas is where billing errors compound.

Private drainage

Soakaways, SUDS, watercourses and private systems mean some surfaces should never have been charged.

Long-unreviewed accounts

The longer a charge has run unchecked, the larger the potential backdated correction.

Put the water bill in front of us

The desk review is free. If the account is sound, we say so and close the file.

Surface Water Charge Audit & Reclaim

Solutions / Savings & Recoveries

Surface Water Audit & Reclaim Pack

A measured audit of roof areas, hardstanding, yards and drainage routes against what the water company bills for. Where the records overstate, the pack supports correction and a backdated reclaim.

What you receive

Inside the audit

Measured surfaces

Roofs, yards and hardstanding captured and scheduled, with the extent of each chargeable surface established.

Drainage routes

Where the water actually goes: sewer, soakaway, SUDS or watercourse, documented per surface.

Supplier-ready pack

The corrected charge basis presented in the format wholesalers and retailers act on.

When to use it

Use it when the bill assumes too much

Surface water lines on commercial water bills rest on historic site areas and untested drainage assumptions. Sites with large roofs, shared yards or any private drainage are the classic overcharge cases.

Large or complex sites with mixed surfaces

Soakaways, SUDS or watercourse drainage anywhere on site

Shared estates with unresolved apportionment

Charge band that has never been verified

One water bill starts the audit

Send it over. The desk check is free and the reclaim, where one exists, is backdated.