Blocked Drains
Drains are pipes which carry waste and surface
water away from one or more houses. When one drain meets another it becomes a sewer. These are not normally linked to the
gullies or grids that can be found in the road to take the water off the highway.
If your drain is blocked you will usually
know because your waste will stop going away when you flush the toilet, or the gullies and manholes outside may overflow.
There will also probably be a smell. Private drains and or sewers are the responsibility of the owner, occupier and any other
properties connected to it.
· Drains may block because they are in poor physical condition and normal contents are not being
cleared
· They may be in a satisfactory condition but have been abused by flushing away disposable nappies
or other items such as plastic bags that should not be placed in the sewerage system.
· Excessive disposal of cooking fats and oils, along with other domestic products and DIY materials
such as plaster can cause blockages.
· Tree roots entering a broken drain may also be a problem.
If you suspect the foul drain serving your
property is blocked, the council operates a same day service up to 4pm on weekdays.
The drain clearance service is chargeable at the following rates;
·
Weekdays - Office Hours £55.00 (inc VAT) for up to two hours.
Your drain may be connected to other neighbouring
properties, and although the site of the blockage may not be on your property, if you call out the service you are the person
liable for the charge.
You are responsible, either solely or jointly,
for the maintenance of your drain until it meets the main public sewer which is usually under the road outside, but in some
cases could be a considerable distance away. The Council can serve notices giving a time period for the notice to be complied
with. If the sewer pipe remains blocked, the Council can do the works itself and recharge the costs.
If the public sewer is blocked and causing
the problem, the Severn Trent Water company are responsible for its clearance. Sewers that existed before the 1st
October 1937 are treated as public sewers. However professional advice should be sought in these instances.
In cases of persistent blockages the Division
has camera equipment available to help determine what may be the cause of the trouble. In any event our officers will be able
to give advice on why the blockages recur and possible options to affect a remedy.
Useful definitions
· Drain- a single pipeline, which conveys foul sewage and or surface water runoff from a single property.
A drain is still a drain even if it goes past the boundary of your house until it joins a sewer.
· Sewer- a pipeline which normally conveys foul sewage and or surface water runoff from more than
one property. Sewers may be either public or private.
· Public Sewer- a sewer which has been adopted as a public sewer or was in use before the 1st
October 1937 and is therefore the responsibility of the statutory undertaker.
· Private Sewer- a sewer which is not a public sewer. A private sewer is normally the responsibility
of the owner of the property, which it serves. It may still be a private sewer under the public highway until it joins the
public sewer.
· Statutory undertaker- in this case this is Severn Trent Water.
