The Law and rules surrounding drains and sewers

PID

The Laws & Rules Surrounding

Drains and Sewers

The majority of drainage problems can be easily drain/sewer cleaning firm contact
prevented by following the guidance in this leaflet. your neighbours upstream of the
In older sewers and drains some problems may be blockage, as they may also be liable for
unavoidable due to the affects of old age. any costs incurred in clearing the drain/sewer.

What to do if your sewer or drain For further details as to who is responsible for a
becomes blocked particular section of pipework see the diagram at the
If the drain or sewer serving your property becomes bottom of the page
blocked it may be possible to clear it yourself. A set .
of drain rods can clear most blockages, Drain rods What happens in the event of a
are easily obtained from most Builder Merchants or blockage?
DIY stores, alternatively they can be hired. It is In the event of a blockage or problem with a private
important NOT to put yourself at risk when sewer everyone who connects into the sewer
attempting to clear a drain or sewer. upstream of the blockage is responsible. Any costs
incurred in having the problem resolved should be
Make sure you wear gloves and wash your hands fairly divided.
afterwards. If you are unable to clear the blockage, it
may be necessary to consult or employ a specialist, If a blockage or problem occurs in a pipeline serving
however specialist firms will always charge for the an individual property that property will be
services which they provide. Before employing a responsible for all the costs incurred in clearing and

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The Laws & Rules Surrounding Drains and Sewers


resolving the problem. When a public sewer
becomes blocked the Sewerage Undertaker
should be contacted, they will clear any blockage
and resolve any problem as necessary.

If the sewer serving a council house becomes
blocked it will be necessary to contact the
Taunton Deane Borough Council’s Housing
Maintenance Department.

The majority of people probably never give
the pipes around their property a second
thought or even know where they are.
However once problems occur it’s very
difficult not to pay attention to
them.

But what if the Council enquirers to check whether the drainage system is
has cleared the drain in private or public, but this is not a foolproof solution.
the past?
Before the 31st December How to pre vent and reduce the chances
1995, the Council acted for the o f a blockage reoccurring
Sewerage Undertaker and Most problems are caused by items, which should be
carried out all the drainage repairs locally. thrown into the bin, being thrown down the toilet or
Occasionally, the Council would clear drains on a waste pipe. Items such as nappies, cotton buds, food
good will basis but it cannot be assumed the waste, hot fats and sanitary towels should be
Sewerage Undertaker will do the same, as they are wrapped up and thrown in the bin, not flushed down
not legally obliged to do so. the toilet or sink.

Why didn't the Council require the If hot fat or grease is poured down the sink it cools
developer of my estate to have the in the sewer or drain serving your house and sets, it
drains adopted? can build up over many years and cause substantial
Legally the Council cannot require the developer to problems. Once fat gets into the sewer it may be
have the drains adopted by the Sewerage very expensive and very difficult to get rid of.
Undertaker, not even through a condition of planning
permission. Building Regulations require the drains to Common terms used in this leaflet:
be built to the standards applicable at the time. Public Sewers - Pipelines which are maintained by
the Sewerage Undertaker which is mainly Wessex
Unfortunately, this is a lower standard than that Water in the Taunton Deane area. If your property
required by the Sewerage Undertaker for adoption and the pipeline serving it was constructed before
particularly in respect of specification and provision the 1st October 1937 and it serves at least
for future maintenance.

Why was I not made aware of this
possibility when I brought my house?
When a land charges search is carried out for a
buyer, the question " How far away are the adopted
sewers?" is not always asked.The Council encourages

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The Laws & Rules Surrounding Drains and Sewers


two properties, it is a public sewer. In the event of:
A blocked public sewer
Private Drain - This refers to a pipeline serving just Contact: Wessex Water Plc. Tel: (0845) 6004600
one property, the responsibility of which remains the
sole concern of the person whose house it serves. A blocked council house sewer/drain
Any blockages or defects etc, will have to be resolved Contact:Taunton Deane Borough Council’s Housing
and paid for by the owner. Maintenance. Tel: (01823) 356448

If the property you live in was constructed before A recurring blockage
October 1937 and is at the upstream end of a Contact:Taunton Deane Borough Council’s
terrace or street it will still be private until the point Environmental Health. Tel: (01823) 356339
at which another property connects into it, at this A blocked private sewer
point it becomes public. See Yellow Pages under ‘Sewage Consultants’ and
‘Drain and Pipe Cleaning’. If the problem poses a
Private Sewers ­ significant Health Risk i.e. the toilet facilities become
This is a pipeline serving two or more properties unusable or there is a chance of coming into contact
built after October 1937. A private sewer is the with sewage then contact the Environmental Health
responsibility of everyone who connects into it. Depar tment.
Private sewers and drains remain private up to and
including the point at which they connect to the
public sewer system even when they run under
public carriageways.

It is possible for people who connect to a private
sewer, to apply to the Sewerage Undertaker to have
the sewer adopted, however there are various
specifications which it will have to meet. If the sewer
adoption is a success the sewer will become the
responsibility of the Sewerage Undertaker.

I f You Require Further Information 01823 356339
Please Contact: [email protected]
The Environmental Protection Team,
01823 356339 [email protected]
Taunton Deane Borough Council,
EP001 The Deane House, Belvedere Road,
Taunton,TA1 1HE
Tel: 01823 356339 01823 356339
Fax: 01823 356557 [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
Deane Design & Print. sgir/9187/12/07 www.tauntondeane.gov.uk 01823 356339
[email protected]
If you would like this document translated into
other languages or in Braille, large print, audio 01823 356339 [email protected]
tape, or CD please telephone us on 01823
356339 or email us at:
[email protected]

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