In short
You look after the drain that serves only your home, inside your boundary. A shared pipe, or the length outside your boundary, usually belongs to the sewerage company. For most of Aldershot that company is Thames Water. However, if you cannot tell which side of the line your blockage sits on, a CCTV drain survey can show where it is.
What changed in 2011
Before 2011, many drains that served several homes were private. Then the Water Industry (Schemes for Adoption of Private Sewers) Regulations 2011 moved them to the water companies. Defra's guidance says this happened on 1 October 2011 for private sewers and lateral drains that connected to a public sewer.
Two kinds of pipe moved. The first is a shared drain that serves more than one property. The second is a lateral drain, which is the length of a single-home drain outside that home's boundary. Defra's guidance is labelled non-statutory, therefore read it as a guide, not as law.
What stayed private
Some pipes did not move. For example, a drain serving one property inside its boundary stays with the owner or occupier. A private drain that does not connect to a public sewer, such as one that runs to a septic tank, also stays private. Surface water sewers that drain to a soakaway or watercourse did not transfer either.
Citizens Advice gives the householder version, which is simple. You maintain and pay for private drains inside your boundary. The water company handles lateral drains outside it, shared sewers and public sewers.
What Thames Water says
Thames Water says it owns public sewers under roads and footpaths, and any sewers shared with neighbours. It says you own the pipes inside your boundary that serve only your home. For a blockage there, it points people to a drain clearing company, since the pipe is yours.
Council planning documents for Rushmoor, Hart, Surrey Heath and Guildford name Thames Water as the sewerage company. A Thames Water letter says the same for Farnham. Although the documents date from 2014 to 2018, they still point the right way, so check Thames Water's postcode checker before you report a fault.
How to tell which pipe you have
Start with simple clues. One blocked bathroom points to your own pipe, whereas the same problem next door suggests a shared pipe. A backed-up outside gully, or the same problem next door, points to a shared pipe or sewer.
Citizens Advice suggests four checks:
- Contact the sewerage company
- Look at your property deeds
- Ask for a sewer map
- Ask the local authority
A camera survey adds proof. The footage shows where the blockage sits, so you can show it to the company, and as a result the talk is shorter.
Why you should not work on a public sewer
Defra's guidance says an occupier has no authority to commission work in a public sewer or a public lateral drain. Therefore you must contact the sewerage company first. It adds that interfering with one without consent may be prosecuted.
Pipes built before 1937 add one more twist. Specifically, Defra's guidance notes that some drains built before then were already public sewers. A survey and the sewer map help to sort this out.
If you rent
If you rent, the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 covers most tenancies of under seven years. Section 11 requires the landlord to keep in repair the structure and exterior of the home, including drains, gutters and external pipes. It also covers sanitation installations such as basins, sinks and baths. Ask your landlord or agent to arrange the repair, and check your tenancy agreement for anything about misuse.
What to do next
Start with your own pipe. If the fault is inside your boundary, ask an engineer for a written quote before work starts. If it looks like a public sewer, report it to Thames Water. In both cases, photos and survey footage still help.
Town pages
A drain that serves only your home and sits inside your boundary is yours to clear. For example, see blocked drains in Guildford for what to send in a request. The Farnham drainage page lists every service for that town.
Similarly, the Camberley drainage page covers each service there. The Fleet drainage page does the same.
Asking for help
This site is a request service for drainage work. You send your details through the form, and your request goes to an engineer who can respond. The engineer who takes your job runs a separate business. Since the engineer sets the price, the arrival time and any guarantee, agree all three before work starts.
Say in your request that you want to know where the fault sits, because the answer may change who you contact. See the pages on blocked drains and drain unblocking, then send a request online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a blocked drain my responsibility?
It is if the pipe serves only your home and sits inside your boundary. Beyond the boundary, or where the pipe is shared, the sewerage company is usually responsible.
Who fixes a shared drain?
Since 2011, a shared drain that connects to a public sewer is usually the sewerage company's job. Report it to the company, and check your deeds if you are unsure.
Who is responsible if I rent?
For most short tenancies, the landlord must keep drains and external pipes in repair. Misuse, however, is a separate question, so read your tenancy agreement.
How do I find out where my responsibility ends?
Ask the sewerage company for a sewer map, check your deeds and ask your council. A CCTV survey additionally shows where a blockage sits along the pipe.