Who is responsible for a blocked drain?
People pay for callouts every week that Anglian Water would have done for free. The rule changed in 2011 and most homeowners never heard about it. Pick a section of the drain below to find out who owns it.
Cross-section of a typical house
Click a section, or use the buttons below
Choose part of the drain run
Start with where the problem shows itself. If only one sink is slow, it's inside the house. If an outside gully or manhole is filling up, work along the run from the house towards the road.
What changed in 2011
The private sewer transfer
Before October 2011, homeowners owned the drain all the way to the public sewer, including the length under the pavement they had never seen and could not reach. Miles of it were in poor condition and nobody was maintaining it.
The transfer moved most of that pipework to the water companies. In this area that means Anglian Water. Two things transferred: any pipe shared by more than one property, and any pipe beyond your own boundary. Everything within your boundary that serves only your house stayed yours.
The short version
Yours, or Anglian Water's?
Yours to pay for
- Waste pipes and the soil stack inside the house
- The drain in your garden or driveway, as long as it only takes waste from your property
Anglian Water's to clear, free
- Any pipe carrying waste from two or more properties, even under your own garden
- Anything past your boundary, including the lateral drain under the pavement
- The public sewer in the road
Exceptions
Where it gets less clear
Newer estates. Pipework laid after 1 July 2011 did not transfer. On recent developments the drainage is often still private until the developer formally hands it over.
Off-mains properties. Plenty of homes in the villages around Haverhill run on a septic tank or treatment plant. Those systems are private from end to end, including the tank and the soakaway.
Flats and shared driveways. Where a block or terrace shares a run, it almost always counts as a sewer and transferred. Managing agents sometimes bill leaseholders for work that was never theirs to pay for.
Rented homes. Blocked drains are generally the landlord's responsibility, unless the tenant caused it.
Still not sure whose it is?
Ring us and describe the symptoms — which fixtures are affected, whether the outside gully is filling, whether next door has the same problem. That's usually enough to tell which side of the boundary the problem is on, and it costs nothing to ask.
Common situations
Who normally pays in each situation?
The ownership line is easier to understand if you start with two questions: does the pipe serve only your property, and is it still inside your boundary? The interactive diagram above gives the quickest answer, but these examples cover the situations homeowners ask about most often.
A blocked drain in your garden serving only your home
If the pipe is within your boundary and takes waste only from your property, it is normally a private drain and the homeowner is responsible for arranging clearance or repair.
A shared drain running through your garden
Once a drain carries waste from more than one property, ownership can change even though the pipe physically runs through your garden. If you are unsure whether a neighbour joins the same run, a manhole inspection or drainage plan may help establish where the connection occurs.
A blockage beyond your property boundary
Pipework beyond the boundary may be a lateral drain or public sewer rather than your private drain. Before paying for work on a blockage near the pavement or road, it is sensible to confirm responsibility with the water company.
Several neighbouring homes are affected
If more than one property backs up at the same time, that is a strong practical clue that the problem may be on shared or public pipework rather than a private branch serving one home.
How to work out where the blockage is
- If only one sink, shower or toilet is slow, start by treating it as a local blockage.
- If all fixtures in your home are affected, check the nearest outside inspection point if it is safe and accessible.
- If your private manhole is clear but wastewater is backing up farther downstream, the obstruction may be beyond your section.
- If neighbours have the same problem, contact the water company before booking private drainage work.
- If the drain is clear but keeps failing, consider a CCTV drain survey to check for damage.
Private drain, lateral drain and sewer: plain-English meanings
Private drain: pipework serving your property before it becomes shared or passes into pipework maintained by the sewerage company. Lateral drain: the section carrying waste from your property outside your boundary before it reaches the sewer. Sewer: pipework that carries waste from more than one property.
The exact layout can differ from house to house, particularly with older properties, shared yards, converted buildings and newer estates. If the ownership point is not obvious, confirming it before paying for a callout is worthwhile.
What if the pipe is damaged rather than blocked?
Responsibility for repair follows ownership of the affected section. If damage appears to be on your private drain, see our drain repairs in Haverhill page. If you are still trying to work out whether the problem is a blockage or structural damage, read blocked drain or broken pipe?