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Q. What is a drain?

 

A. A drain is a pipe that conveys either foul water (sink/bath/toilet etc) or surface water (rain) from one house only.

 

Q. What is a sewer?

 

A. A sewer is a pipe that conveys either foul water (sink/bath/toilet etc) or surface water from more than one house. A sewer may be either private or public.

Q. What is a public sewer?

 

A. A public sewer is owned and maintained by the local Utility or Water company. They are usually referred to as main drains and sewers found out in the street or road. But also sewers built for some houses before 31st October 1937 are public sewers (by virtue of the Public Health and Water Industries Acts).

 

Q. What is a private sewer?

 

A. A private sewer is a joint responsibility of the owners of the houses connected to it. Most sewers built after 31st October 1937 are private sewers. This means that the owners of all houses ‘upstream’ of a blockage or defect are responsible for clearance or repair.

 

Q. How do I know if it is my drain that is blocked?

 

A. If your drain is blocked you will usually know because your waste will stop going away when you flush the toilet and it could overflow. Gullies, grids or manholes outside ypur house can also overflow. There will also probably be a 'bad' or 'foul' smell.

 

Q. Who has the plans for my drains?

 

A. Unfortunately, Councils do not have copies of private drainage plans. There may be plans with the property deeds, or for new houses the developer may have copies. Otherwise you will need to carry out a drain survey at your own cost.

 

Q. What am I responsible for?

 

A. Even if your property is connected to a main sewer, it may discharge through a drain or private sewer before connecting to the public sewer. The private section is your responsibility.

 

A drain or private sewer may run under private land and most will also run under the highway at some point. Your responsibility only ceases after the connection to a public sewer.

 

Q. What if the sewer serves other properties too?

 

A. The responsibility lies with the property owners served by the sewer irrespective of whose land the sewer is on or under, except for properties built before 31st October 1937 when responsibility is then likely to lie with United Utilities.

 

Q. Who Enforces Statutory Drainage Legislation when a private sewer or drain is blocked?

 

A. The Council  has a statutory duty in the interests of public health to ensure that blocked and foul smelling private drains are cleared and, where appropriate, to recharge the householders effected for this service.

 

Following the serving of a notice, any recharge costs are apportioned equally to all households feeding into the sewer up to the point that it is blocked i.e. 'upstream'.  It is the councils Environmental Health that undertakes this duty.

 

The Council may become involved if…

private households, being served by a drain and/or private sewers are unable or unwilling adequately to deal with the problem. In these cases we are able to serve a Legal Notice requiring the work to be done. The work may be done by the Council in default of the owners.

 

However this will be subject to an administration charge and it will normally be more economical for the owners to agree amongst themselves to arrange for the works to be carried out.

 

access is not possible or denied onto a property to investigate the situation. An Authorised Officer of the council may enter the property at any reasonable time to assess the extent of the problem. the council has reason to believe that a risk to public health exists and it is unlikely that the person(s) responsible will be able or willing to carry out necessary works.

 

The Council has a number of options for serving of notice in respect of private drains and sewers using Public Health Acts, The Building Act and other provisions.

 

Q. What is a Statutory Undertaker?

 

A. A Statutory Undertaker is the organistion detrmined by Act of Parliament to undertake sewage disposal, in  Halton this is United Utilities.

 

Q. Who is responsible for repairing or replacing manhole covers?

 

A. The owner of the drain, sewer or other service is responsible. Landowners, however, have a “duty of care” to make sure their land is safe. If the manhole is in the road contact the Council.

 

Q. What should I do if a road/entry gully is blocked or flooded?

 

A. In times of very heavy rain, road drainage gullies may not be able to cope for short amounts of time. Only phone the council if the gully continues to be blocked.

 

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