Drainage and sewers
What are drains and sewers?
Drains are single pipelines which convey foul sewage and/or surface water run-off from a single property. A drain is still a drain even if it goes past the boundary of your property and remains so until it joins a sewer.
Sewers are pipelines which normally convey foul sewage and/or surface water run-off from more than one property. Sewers may be either private or public sewers.
What are public and private sewers?
Public sewers are generally the larger sewers that run under the roads. These are the responsibilities of Wessex Water plc and part of your water charges pays for the unblocking and upkeep of these sewers and the associated sewage treatment works.
If the sewer which services your house was built before 1937 it will also be public unless you have made any alterations to it.
All other sewers built after 1937 are termed private unless they have been specifically ‘adopted’ by the water company.
Private sewers and drains which connect your property to the public sewer belong to you as the householder, or your landlord if you are a tenant. You are responsible for their maintenance and repair, just as you are for your house.
Statutory water undertakers
This will depend upon where you live in Wiltshire, but will be either :
Who is responsible?
- Section A-C is the responsibility of Property 1
- Section B-C is the responsibility of Property 2
- Section D-E is the responsibility of Property 3
- Section H-F is the responsibility of Property 4
- Section I-J is the responsibility of Property 5
- Section C-E is the responsibility of Properties 1 and 2
- Section E-F is the responsibility of Properties 1, 2 and 3
- Section F-G is the responsibility of Properties 1, 2, 3 and 4
- Section K-L is the responsibility of the water company
The Council may become involved if…
Private households being served by a drain and/or private sewers are unable or unwilling to resolve a problem. In these cases we may serve a statutory notice on each householder concerned requiring the work to be carried out within a specified timescale. Should the notices not be complied with then the council may carry out the work in default and charge the householders concerned including an amount for administration.
Should access to a property to investigate the problem not be possible or be denied then the Council may enter the property at any reasonable time to assess the extent of the problem.
The Council has a number of options for service of notice in respect of private drains and sewers using the Public Health Acts, The Building Act and other provisions. However, legal action may be complicated and can involve additional expense and delay. Such action should not become necessary where owners are aware of their shared ownership and clearance and repair will be cheaper and quicker if they agree to have the works carried out and share the cost equally amongst themselves.
If you have any queries concerning private drains or sewers then please contact the Housing and Pollution team in the Environmental Health Department.
Any queries concerning public sewers should in the first instance be addressed to your statutory water undertaker (i.e.the company to whom you pay your water bill).
Last updated: 15 April 2009