South west water - rainwater harvesting

A downpipe disconnection simply intersects an existing downpipe which currently discharges into the combined sewer and diverts it away from the building to allow the surface water to naturally infiltrate into the ground.

When might I use a downpipe disconnection?

Downpipe disconnections are a very simple and cheap way of diverting rain water out of sewers to a nearby permeable area which should be downhill of the downpipe and away from other properties. Rain water butts and downpipe planters or raised rain gardens can add value to a downpipe disconnection by storing and reusing water within your garden. This would have the additional benefit of reducing your water-use because you would need to water the garden less often.