Guide

Who is responsible for my drains?

Short answer: in England and Wales, you are usually responsible for the drains that serve only your property and sit within your property boundary. Since 1 October 2011, pipes that are shared with neighbours, or that serve only your property but run outside your boundary, have usually been the responsibility of the local sewerage company. The exact position depends on how your property is connected, so check with your sewerage company if you’re unsure. Your sewerage company is the one that bills you for waste water. In parts of West London that’s Thames Water, even if Affinity Water supplies your drinking water.

This guide covers England and Wales only. It is general guidance, not legal advice.

Drain, lateral drain or sewer: what’s the difference?

• Drain: a pipe that carries waste water away from a single property, within that property’s boundary.
• Lateral drain: a pipe that serves a single property but lies outside its boundary, for example under the pavement or a neighbour’s land, on its way to the sewer.
• Sewer: a pipe that is shared, carrying waste water from more than one property.

What’s usually your responsibility

The pipes that serve only your property and sit within your boundary are normally the owner’s responsibility (or the landlord’s, for a rented home). That covers the waste pipes from sinks, baths and toilets, the underground drain that collects them, and the gullies and inspection chambers along it, up to the point where your drain leaves your property or joins a shared pipe. Ofwat explains (opens in a new tab) that since the 2011 transfer this point is usually at the boundary of the property.

If you rent your home, the drains are usually the landlord’s to maintain; tell your landlord or letting agent about a problem first. See domestic drainage for the work we do for homeowners and landlords.

Septic tanks, cesspools and private treatment plants weren’t part of the 2011 transfer, so they stay the owner’s responsibility.

What the sewerage company usually looks after

On 1 October 2011, private sewers and lateral drains in England and Wales that were connected to the public sewer network immediately before 1 July 2011 were transferred to the sewerage companies, as Ofwat explains (opens in a new tab). The government’s announcement (opens in a new tab) notes that drainage serving one property only, within its own boundary, was not transferred and remains the owner’s responsibility.

In practice, that means the sewerage company usually looks after:

• shared pipes (sewers) that carry waste from your property and your neighbours’, even where they run through gardens;
• the lateral drain from your boundary to the sewer, where it serves only your property but lies outside your boundary;
• the public sewers, which are usually in roads or open spaces.

There are exceptions, so contact the sewerage company for your area if you’re not sure who is responsible for a particular pipe. Many sewerage companies publish their own guidance, such as Thames Water’s page on private sewer ownership (opens in a new tab).

Pumping stations that were part of those sewers or lateral drains were transferred later, by 1 October 2016, if they met the rules. If you have a pumping station and aren’t sure who owns it, ask your sewerage company.

Shared drains, flats and leasehold

In blocks of flats and other multi-occupied buildings, the pipes inside the building and the shared drains within the site can be arranged in different ways. Responsibility for them, and for arranging repairs, is often set out in the lease or managed by the freeholder or managing agent. If you live in a flat, check your lease and speak to your managing agent before booking work. Managing agents and facilities teams can see our commercial drainage page, and our planned drainage maintenance service for sites they look after.

Drains under a driveway or in the garden

Whether a pipe under your driveway or garden is yours depends on what it serves, not just where it is. A drain serving only your home, within your boundary, is usually yours. A pipe that also carries your neighbours’ waste is usually a shared sewer, which the sewerage company normally looks after, even though it runs through your land. Manhole covers can give a clue, but they aren’t proof of who owns the pipe beneath.

If you’re planning an extension or new driveway, check where the sewers run first. Thames Water normally needs a build over agreement before work starts within 3 metres of a public sewer or 1 metre of a public lateral drain. Planning permission on its own doesn’t cover this. See Thames Water’s build over guidance (opens in a new tab).

How to find out where a blockage is

If you aren’t sure where a blockage or defect sits, a CCTV drain survey shows exactly where the problem is. A colour camera is run through the pipe so you can see whether the fault is in your own drain or further along a shared pipe, which helps when you need to talk to a neighbour, your landlord or the sewerage company.

Should I call Thames Water or a drainage company?

Ask your neighbours whether they have the same problem. If they do, the blockage is probably in a shared sewer, so call your sewerage company first and make a note of what they tell you. If only your property is affected, the fault is most likely in your own drain, and that’s when to call us: see blocked drains or request a quote. CCW, the water consumer body, has more on who to contact (opens in a new tab).

Got a blocked drain now?

If only your property is affected and the blockage is in your own drain, we can clear it. See blocked drains, check where we work, or request a quote. Call 020 8166 5937. We’re open Monday to Friday 6am to 6pm and weekends 6am to 4pm. We don’t offer a 24/7 service.