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Sewer pipe responsibility
There are two main types of sewers – private and public. Private sewers are the responsibility of you, the customer. While public sewers belong to us, the water company, so are our responsibility. In addition, there are highway drains and gullies that are the responsibility of local authorities.
The drainage pipes located beneath your house, garden or driveway belong to you and are your responsibility. These stop being your responsibility the moment they reach outside the boundary of your property or connect to pipes serving another property. So if there’s a problem with a private drain or sewer, it’s up to you to pay for an independent drain clearing company to carry out any clearance work.
The large sewers under the road or pavement are our responsibility. Due to a change in law a few years ago, the sections of sewers and pipe that you share with neighbours outside your property boundary are also now our responsibility. In the event that a public sewer is blocked, it’s our job to fix the problem.
The highways authority, usually the county council, deals with blocked highway drains and road gullies that are causing surface water flooding. You’ll find a contact number for your county council highways department with a quick search online.
If your query is urgent call our 24-hour Customer Centre on 0800 085 8033.