Drains and Sewers

What is a Drain?

A drain is a pipe which conveys either foul water (sink/bath waste, sewage etc) or surface water (rain) from one house only.

The owner or occupier of a house is solely responsible for maintaining a drain, clearing blockages and repairing any faults. Even where the drain extends outside the boundary of the property (e.g. under the road or neighbouring properties), the owner or occupier of the house served by the drain is still responsible, right up to the main public sewer.

What is a Sewer?

A Sewer is a pipe which conveys either foul water or surface water from more than one house.

A sewer may be Public or Private.

A Public Sewer is a sewer adopted and maintained by the sewerage undertaker, usually Wessex Water Plc. Such sewers are normally found under the highway, but can be anywhere. The Council and the Water Authority hold copies of the public sewer plans.

A private sewer is the joint responsibility of all the owners or occupiers of the houses it serves. This means that the owners or occupiers of all properties upstream of a blockage or defect are jointly responsible for its clearance or repair.

This responsibility may well extend beyond any private land and under the highway to the public sewer.

The Local Council is not responsible for any foul water sewers or drains

The Council does not provide a drain-clearing service.

What if I rent my property?

If you rent your property you should contact your landlord.

What can I do if my drain or private sewer blocks?

If you are unable to clear the blockage yourself, you should call a private contractor to clear or carry out a survey. Always ask for a quote before employing any contractor. Where several houses are affected by a problem in a private sewer, you should endeavour to agree to share the cost with each householder before employing a contractor.

What can I do if a public sewer blocks?

Telephone Wessex Water on 0845 600 7 600. Provided the blockage is on the public sewer there will be no charge for its clearance.

What happens if my drain or private sewer requires repair?

You should arrange for repair by a contractor. The various householders should share the cost of repairs to private sewers. Your building insurance policy may cover the cost of repairs and you should contact them before having any works undertaken.

What happens if the blockage or repairs are not dealt with?

The council has various powers to serve a formal notice requiring the clearance of any blockages or the undertaking of any necessary repair works. Failure to comply with such notices is an offence and may lead to prosecution. The Council may also carry out works in default and recover the costs from those on whom its notices have been served; note that the Council's own costs for arranging these works can be added to these costs.  It is usually cheaper to arrange the works yourself, rather than rely on the Council to do this.