Sewers and Drains
Water sewerage companies in England and Wales now take
responsibility for the maintenance and repair of shared sewer
pipes. This change took place on 1 October 2011. The change means
you are now only responsible for the drainage pipe which serves
your own property. Sewer pipes which are shared by more than one
property, or run beyond your property boundary, are United
Utilities’ responsibility. The new rules will stop you being
charged for costly repairs for issues that aren’t your fault.
As well as the private drains serving a single home or business
within the boundary of the property, there are a few other types of
pipes that are not covered by the Regulations and will remain the
responsibility of the current owners after 1 October 2011. These
are:
- Water supply pipes within your property boundary
- Existing surface water sewers that drain directly to
watercourses
- Privately owned sewage treatment works and pipes connected to
them
- Privately owned septic tanks and cesspits (including all
associated pipes even if serving more than one property)
-
Private pumping stations (external link)
After 1 October 2011, if you have a problem related to the above
you should contact United Utilities on 0845 602 0406.
In addition, if you have a query regarding the status of your
drainage go to http://www.unitedutilities.com/privatesewers
(external link)
The Private Sewers section is extremely useful and has an
‘Explain-a-drain’
(external link) tool which enables individuals to easily check what
is applicable to their property.
What are the main types of drainage?
A drain collects foul water (from sinks, baths,
toilets, washing machines etc) or surface water (rainwater) from
land and buildings within a single boundary. A drain can flow under
another property’s boundary (known as a lateral drain), a pavement
or a highway until it reaches a sewer.
Private sewers are sewers built after 1937 that
have not been adopted by the utility company. The difference
between a drain and a private sewer is that a private sewer joins
drains from two or more properties together. Most sewers built
before 1937 or those adopted by the utility companies are
public sewers. United Utilities will be able to
tell you if your sewer has been adopted. Some public sewers are
found within the boundary of private properties depending on when
the sewer and the property were built.
A road gully is a chamber covered with a metal
grate or grill at the edge of a highway. It collects and drains
water from the highway. Road gullies are the responsibility of
Cumbria County Council.
Non-mains drainage
Non-mains drainage is mainly found in rural areas of
Allerdale.
A cesspool is a watertight underground tank
with a minimum capacity of 18,000 litres. Older cesspools are lined
with brick or concrete, and more modern ones with plastics,
polythene or steel. Foul water is stored until the time of
disposal. A cesspool must be pumped out or otherwise emptied by a
competent contractor. It is an offence for anyone other than a
competent contractor to do this.
A septic tank is effectively a mini-sewerage
system. Sewage is stored in a watertight tank where bacteria break
down solid matter to one third of its original volume. Settled
solids are retained and a clear liquid flows out via land drainage.
Installing a new septic tank requires permission from Building Control and a consent
to discharge from the Environment Agency (external link).