Drainage

Whose Responsibility is it?

On 1st October 2011, new Government legislation was introduced which affected the ownership and responsibilities of private drainage. All private sewers and lateral drains have transferred ownership to the statutory undertaker (water company), in our region this is United Utilties.

As a home owner you are still responsible for any drain serving only your property within your boundary. If you have a blocked or damaged drain, then your options will be to either contact a drainage company or to contact your home insurance company, as you may be covered under your buildings insurance policy.

United Utilities will be responsible for any shared drainage whether it falls within your boundary or not. If you are experiencing problems with shared drainage you will need to inform Untied Utilities on 0845 746 2200 or visit the United Utilities website.

United Utilities will not be transferring ownership for private drainage which is served by a septic tank, whether it be shared or otherwise, this will remain as private drainage, and responsibility for the upkeep of this drainage rests with those properties who benefit from  it. If you have issues with your septic tank or the drainage connected to it you will need to contact a drainge company or your home insurance provider.

What is the difference between a drain and a sewer?

• A drain serves only one property. From 1st October this remains as the homeowners responsibility.
• A sewer serves more than one property. From 1st October this has become United Utilities responsibility.
• A lateral drain is the section of pipe which continues beyond the property boundary. From 1st October this has become United Utilities responsibility.

Further Investigation

The Council has powers to intervene where there is a defect in a private drain which is not being dealt with by those responsible. The Council can serve legal notices and carry out works in default if necessary, insome cases CCTV surveys of the pipes are required to determine the extent of the problem or defect.  In such cases the Council will not only charge for the cost of works but will also recover administration costs, therefore this method of actioning works should be considered by the homeowners as a last resort.

Charges for Drainage Response

Please note that from 1st October 2010 the Council have applied charges to cover time spent dealing with drainage issues. Download a fee sheet for Other Building Control Services (PDF, 39KB) for details.

The Council are not responsible for private drainage, however we will investigate private drainage issues if necessary. Following a report of an issue we may attend site to gather more information regarding the nature of the issue. If matters can be resolved on site during this visit there will be no costs to the owners of the affected drain. However, if matters cannot be resolved and further action is required by the Council, then we will recover any intial costs and any further costs from time spent dealing with the matter from those who have a shared responsibility of the drain.

Prevention of Blockages

In order to reduce the number of blockages that occur in the first place, care should be taken with what items are actually pushed, poured or flushed down a drain or sewer. The following items should never be put down a drain:

• cement, rubble, concrete, stones, bricks;
• fats & greases, engine oil, chemicals;
• hand or baby wipes (inclucing toilet training wipes for toddlers), sanitary products, nappies, cotton buds;
• newspapers, magazines, other bulky items.

Highway Gullies

These are designed to take surface water from roads and back streets. they are not designed to take foul water. Any problems relating to these drains, i.e. that they are blocked, overflowing or giving off odours, should be reported to the Highways department.

Polluted ditches or watercourses

Polluted ditches or watercourses should be reported to the Environment Agency incident desk on 0800 807060 (Freephone, 24 hour service). 

Useful Contacts

• United Utilities - 0845 746 2200 or visit the United Utilities website
• Highways - 0845 002 0666
• Environment Agency - 08708 506506 (Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm)

The Council cannot enforce United Utilities to maintain public sewers. However they do have their own complaints procedure. If you are still unhappy with their response you can contact WaterVoice or OFWAT.

Please note that the Council no longer offers a drain-clearing service.