Drainage problems

When people have a blocked drain or similar problem they are often unsure who to contact. This situation arises because drains are a case of 'out of sight and out of mind' until such time as people have a problem.

Drains and sewers are either the responsibility of individual householders or the statutory sewerage undertaker; locally this is Severn Trent Water.

If a sewer is the responsibility of Severn Trent then the householder should contact them on the freephone telephone number - 0800 783 4444.

Public or private?

The pipe that exits your house is called a drain. If this drain then joins a drain from another property, the pipe becomes a sewer from that joint onwards.

Responsibilities for unblocking or repairing problem sections of foul sewage systems depend upon whether or not the sewer is classed as 'PUBLIC' or 'PRIVATE' - however this is not always easy to determine.

Public sewers are those that have been adopted by the sewerage undertaker (e.g. Severn Trent Water, their management contractors or predecessors) and, once adopted, cleaning and maintenance of that sewer is their responsibility. Plans of all such sewers are held by the sewage undertaker, and may be available for viewing at the council offices.

Sewers built before 1 October 1937 are known as 'Section 24 sewers' and are the exception to the rule. They fit the general description of private sewers but they are actually public and therefore managed by the local sewerage undertaker.

A private sewer is a sewer that has not been adopted by a sewerage undertaker, and therefore it is the responsibility of the persons who use the sewer to clear blockages or repair damage.

The fact that a sewer is located under a public road does NOT mean that it is a public sewer.

Some Public sewers can be found within the grounds (curtilage) of a private dwelling.

Your household drain may flow straight into a public sewer. If a blockage occurs anywhere in this private drain, you have sole responsibility for cleaning any blockages or carrying out any repairs. Most properties have some length of private drain.

Drains for two properties may join together and form a private sewer, and then run some distance before connecting with the public sewer. If a blockage or defect occurs at a point between two properties in the private sewer system, the owners of the two properties would be responsible for rectifying the problem.

Note that the boundary of the property does not indicate the end of your responsibility.

In some cases, the drains from an entire estate may join a private sewer system before linking up with the public system, and this could be some considerable distance.

Present legislation dictates that the owners or occupiers of premises above the point of the blockage or defect (i.e. whichever properties effluent flows through that point) are responsible.

If a householder has a problem with a drain which is their responsibility then staff from the Environmental Health Division may be able to offer them some help and advice regarding this. However we don't offer a service to clear blocked drains.

If necessary, in order to protect public health, the Council does have legal powers to require responsible persons to unblock or repair drains. If necessary, they may also carry out works in default.

If you have any particular queries with regard to household drainage issues then please contact Environmental Health:

Merlin House
Merlin Way
Ilkeston
Derbyshire
DE7 4RA

Tel: 0115 931 6010

Drainage problems

Public or private?

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