Drains

Drains take wastewater and surface water in a pipe from a single property to the boundary or to join a sewer.

If a homeowner's drain becomes blocked, it is their responsibility to repair or clear this through to the property border.

If you own a flat, check the conditions of the lease to determined who is responsible for the drains.

Tenants of privately or social rented accommodation will need to contact their landlord if they experience issues with their drains.

Drains can become blocked if the wrong materials are put down them. For more information please see Severn Trent Water Guidance

If you experience a drainage problem and the responsible party has not resolved it, please be aware that Environmental Health's responsibilities under the Land Drainage Act have now been transferred to Warwickshire County Council's Flood Management Team.

Lateral Drains

A lateral drain is a pipe carrying wastewater away from a property to a sewer. These are often located outside a property boundary. Severn Trent Water will be responsible for the repair and clearing of most lateral drains.

Sewers

A sewer takes wastewater and surface water away from two or more properties. Most sewers in the district are publicly owned and maintained by Severn Trent Water.

Contact Severn Trent Water if you discover a problems with a sewer for example if it is blocked. Severn Trent Water have rights to enter your property to inspect and maintain a sewer.

Highway Drainage

Warwickshire County Council are responsible for the drainage of surface water on adopted public roads.

Trunk roads are the responsibility of the Highway Agency.

Drainage on un-adopted roads are normally the responsibility of property owners adjoining the road.

To report a highway draining concern please contact Warwickshire County Council .

Private Drainage Systems

A private drainage system includes pipework up to the point of connection to a public sewer. It can also include cesspools, soakaways or septic tanks. A private drainage system is the responsibility of the land owner. If the system is shared between properties, the responsibility will fall to each owner equally.

Please visit Gov.uk for more information on septic tank responsibilities.

Contact: The Environmental Health team

Last updated on 12/01/2024