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Drainage - help and advice

Drains are pipes, which carry waste and surface water from one or more houses. When one drain meets another, it becomes a sewer. These are not the gullies or grids that can be found in the road to take water off the highway.

• How do I know if it is my drain that is blocked?
• How do I report a blocked drain?
• Who is responsible?

If your drain is blocked you will usually know because your waste will stop going away when you flush the toilet, or gullies outside will overflow. There will also probably be a smell. Private drains/sewers are the responsibility of the owner-occupier and any other properties connected to it. The Council can arrange for clearance of a blocked drain.

For help and advice on highway drainage, land drainage or private drainage, continue to contact the Council during office hours at the above contact details.

Please contact us to confirm whether it is a public or private drain.

It is the responsibility of the owner-occupier to maintain and clear a private drain/sewer. If the property is rented then it is their responsibility. If you live in a row of houses then the problem could be a shared one.