Pollution Control - Drainage
Sewers and drains
The Council has an enforcement role to ensure that private
drainage systems operate efficiently. Main public sewers are
maintained and cleansed by Wessex Water Services plc.
Private sewers and drains are the responsibility of those who
use them.
Responsibilities for unblocking or repairing problem sections of
foul sewage systems depend upon whether or not the sewer is classed
as public or private.
Your sewer – public or private?
The pipe that exits your house is called a drain. If this drain
then joins a drain from another property, the pipe becomes a
private sewer from that joint onwards. It is the householder who is
responsible for the cleansing and maintenance of that drain until
its connection with the sewer.
The drainage system serving a building or group of buildings is
'private' until it connects with a main public sewer. So in the
case where a blockage or defect occurs on the private sewer before
reaching the public sewer, the owners of the properties serving the
private sewer would be responsible for rectifying the problem.
Note that the boundary of the property does not indicate the end
of responsibility. This extends up to and includes the connection
with the public sewerage system.
Present legislation dictates that the owners or occupiers of
homes above the point of the blockage or defect - whichever
properties effluent flows through that point - are responsible.
Sewers built before 1 October 1937 are known as 'Section 24
sewers’. They fit the general description of private sewers but
they are actually public and therefore managed by the local
sewerage company.
The Councils role
The Environmental Protection Team has an enforcement role to
ensure that buildings have sufficient and satisfactory provision
for drainage.
Sometimes it is not possible to identify the location of
drainage defects and who is responsible until any blockage has been
cleared. Often detailed surveys using closed circuit television or
other equipment is necessary to trace the drain and identify
defects.
Environmental Health Officers will determine the extent of the
problem, the number of properties involved, the action required to
resolve the problem, and who is responsible. This usually results
in either informal or formal action being taken.
Formal action
- A Statutory Notice would require the affected persons to
remove obstructions from the private sewer within 48 hours. If the
notice is not complied with, the work can be completed by the
council and the cost for the works plus any administrative fees
will be charged to those responsible.
- A Building Act 1984, Section 59 Notice would require the
responsible people to repair damaged parts of a private sewer. The
notice or covering letter will indicate all other parties involved.
If the notice is not complied with, the council will complete the
work and the cost plus any administrative fees will be charged.
Information about rights of appeal is also set out within this
notice. Problems relating to public sewers must be dealt with by
the company responsible for maintaining the sewers in your
area.
