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Drains and Sewers

What is Sewers and Drains

Helpful definitions:

There are two kinds of wastewater, foul water, and surface water. The two must be kept separate and the one not discharged to the other.

Foul Water Drainage - Toilets, sinks, baths, showers and kitchen appliances all discharge foul waste water system.

Surface Water Drainage - Roof down pipes and drains in driveways or open paved areas in your property should discharge surface water (rainwater) system.

Drain - A drain is a pipe taking foul or surface water flows from one property.

Sewer - A sewer is a pipe taking foul or surface water flows from two or more properties.

Public Sewer (or Main Sewer) - A public or main sewer is part of the network of public owned foul or surface water drainage systems. These systems are managed by the sewerage undertaker and accept the flows from the smaller private drains/sewers.

Surcharge - When flows cannot be contained within the piped system then the excess flows will escape (surcharge) through the nearest low point upstream of the restriction, usually a manhole.

How does the sewer/sewerage system for my property work?
If your property is of individual design (e.g. not of similar look to your neighbours) then it is likely to have been constructed with single drainage connections (one for foul/waste water and possibly one for surface water) into the main public sewers.

If your property is of similar design (e.g. of similar look to your neighbours and likely to have been developed at the same time) then the property is likely to have been connected to several other properties before connecting into the main public sewers.

What happens if I don't have a surface water system?
If there is no sign of a surface water drainage system then the property is likely to have a soakaway for surface water disposal. Alternatively, the property could be connected to a nearby watercourse (ditch) system.

Who is responsible for the drains/sewers around my property?
A drain around your property may be wholly under your responsibility or under combined responsibility with neighbours. Any drain or sewer is the responsibility of the properties served by that sewer. The responsibility for any drain/sewer system is with the property owner(s) up to and including its connection to the public sewer.

What are public sewers and who is responsible for maintaining them?
All the public sewers in Surrey Heath are controlled and maintained by the sewerage undertaker Thames Water Utilities Ltd (08459 200800), even though you may pay your water bills to a different company. The public sewerage network is located mostly in the street but can run almost anywhere including through private land and within gardens. Thames Water is responsible for all aspects of maintenance and repair to these sewers, regardless of where they are.

The public sewers are all mapped and both the Council and the Water Authority hold copies. This information may be viewed at the Council Offices during office hours.

Are there any exceptions to the ownership of sewers?
If your property was constructed prior to 1927 and shares drainage from at least one other neighbouring property then the sewer could have been classed as a Section 24 (S24) sewer for which Thames Water Utilities Ltd (08459 200800) are responsible. If you think that the sewer serving your home might be a S24 sewer then you should clarify the matter with Thames Water who will be able to supply you with a definitive answer.

My neighbour's cesspool/septic tank/foul drain is overflowing. What shall I do?
In the interests of good neighbour relations you should, first of all, advise your neighbour as often they will not have realised. Most will respond and get it sorted out. If a resolution is not undertaken then please report the incident to the Environmental Health Officer 01276 707360 who will take up the matter directly with the owner.

How can I reduce the incidence of blockages in my drain/sewer?
Items such as disposable nappies, sanitary products, cotton buds, food waste, hot fat etc should never be put down the toilet or sink, these should instead be wrapped and binned. Do make everyone in your household aware of the consequences!

Disputes in blockage clearance
If you cannot reach agreement with the other users of your private sewer regarding sharing the cost for blockage clearance or repairs, then you should contact the Environmental Health Service 01276 707360. All Local Authorities have powers vested in them under a variety of Acts of Parliament, which enable them to require owners or occupiers of properties served by private sewers and drains to clear or repair them as appropriate.

This action would normally take the form of a formal legal notice, which would specify the work required and time-scale. If the conditions of that Notice were not met, the Council could have the works done in default and recover the costs incurred from each responsible party. However, this would probably turn out to be the more expensive option, as the Council would ultimately be looking to recover all costs incurred during the investigative, clearance/repair and administrative processes.

Blockages in the Public Sewer
If you or your contractor have attempted to clear the blockage around your property without success and you suspect the problem is within the Public Sewer then you will need to contact Thames Water Utilities Ltd (08459 200800). You will need to explain your suspicions to the operator at the Thames Water Call Centre.

Thames Water's contractor will attend promptly to deal with the matter at no cost to you but may want to refer to you when they attend site in case the problem is not obvious on the ground.

Cesspools and Septic Tanks
These are still used in outlying areas of the Borough where no public foul water system is available. If operated with care and consideration, and in the right ground conditions, they can work satisfactorily for extended periods. If you need yours emptying, you need to find a suitable contractor or use the general advice given earlier above to find one.

You should usually be able to call The Environmental Health Officer 02176 707360 during Office hours for advice.

Who is responsible for the private sewer serving a rented property?
Generally, the landlord will be responsible under his maintenance obligations in respect of the property but your tenancy agreement will confirm this. Your tenancy agreement should highlight the procedure to adopt in the event of blockage. Should your Landlord refuse to clear the blockage then, as the occupier, it will be your responsibility.

If you are in Housing Association accommodation arranged by the Council then they usually regard their tenants as having the responsibility (as occupiers) for the cost of blockage clearance. However, on some occasions the Housing Association does agree to contribute towards the cost. You should contact your Housing Association maintenance team for clarification and their out-of-hours number should have been provided to you.

Surrey Heath Borough Council has nothing to do with the Housing Association who are completely separate and have their own arrangements in place for dealing with maintenance and other related emergencies.

I have bought my Council house (or Housing Association house), who is responsible for the private sewer?
As the house owner, you are responsible for maintaining the sewers equally with the other users, possibly including the Housing Association, on a proportional basis.

My drains are blocked, what can I do?
First and foremost it must be cleared without delay. If you are competent enough to attend to the blockage yourself it is often surprisingly simple to clear with a set of rods, some knowledge of your property and a little common sense. However, you will need to take some simple Health and Safety precautions such as attention to personal hygiene, and care to avoid accidents with inspection covers and open chambers. If you are in doubt or not confident in approaching the problem yourself, then ask friends and family to recommend a specialist contractor or jobbing builder.

My drains are blocked, can anybody help?
Surrey Heath Borough Council has no direct labour to deal with problem blockages to private drains or sewers. If you do not have friends and family that can recommend a specialist contractor you can use the 'Yellow Pages', 'Thompson's Local' and local newspapers for guidance to appoint a contractor to deal with the problem. Please be aware that these companies are not vetted and some may charge higher than average fees, particularly outside normal working hours. Others may spend increased time on site (with increased charges) as they may have little or no knowledge and experience of drainage problems. Always ask for a scale of charges first.

Is it possible for the Council to arrange for clearance?
If you wish, the Council can arrange for a clearance; the current charges are available on request from the Environmental Health Service 01276 707360.

This scale of charges covers basic blockages only. Where the use of specialist plant and other equipment is required this will be reflected in the final invoice. If yours is a shared system then in fairness to them, you need to get the agreement of all the other responsible property owners or occupiers (usually neighbours) before engaging a contractor. Most people are co-operative but as costs are involved, this can sometimes causes dispute.

I have had repeated blockages. Might there be an underlying fault?
There may be an underlying fault, however a stubborn blockage which was not properly cleared can cause rapid recurrent blockages. If you are in doubt, you can have a CCTV survey of the drain carried out once it has been cleaned. Specialist contractors can do this for you. Such a survey will identify any cracks, breaks, holes, collapses, root ingress, or other faults, it will also enable the accurate location of the problem so that repairs may be targeted if the drain needs to be dug up.

If you decide to employ a specialist contractor to conduct such a survey make sure that you receive a recording of the survey, and written report of the survey to keep. In many cases where the fault can be attributed as 'accidental damage' then the investigation and repairs could be covered by your household insurance. In all cases, contact your insurers for clarification first.

All problems such as blockages have to be dealt with collectively by all owners or occupiers upstream, not just by the owner or occupier of the property where the blockage is apparent. In dealings with neighbours please be aware that flooding (surcharge from manholes) will occur at the lowest point upstream of a blockage in any drainage system, and this will not necessarily be near the site of the blockage. No definitive plans of private drainage systems are held, nor is there a requirement for this in law, however, the Council does have some mapping information on private drainage for various estates within the Borough. It is not comprehensive but it's worth an enquiry if you are trying to clear a blockage and want to know where your drains are supposed to be, and who is likely to be responsible. Please note that the accuracy of this non-statutory information is not guaranteed. More accurate details of your drainage system may be included in the Title Deeds of the property.

Please refer to the Environmental Health Officer 01276 707360 or Drainage Engineer 01276 707100 for advice, if you need more information.

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